4May1996

My dear folks,

Saturday afternoon. I’ve a string of eight nightshifts behind me & I’m trying to stay awake until evening - with mixed results. The day dawned glorious. We’ve a panoramic view from the 7th floor stairwell at Television Centre & I stopped to look at the emerging skyline each time I went down to the studio to produce another bulletin. London was waking at five, glinting in the sun at six & glorious at seven. Since then the sun has rather gone away again & it’s cold. I was not too tired this morning to spend 2 hours working out the mysteries of WINZIP, a wonderfully useful little programme that compresses seldom used files & archive material into a quarter of their own space (& decompresses them on request). My hard disc hardly knows itself. It’s like being able to double cupboard space by miniaturising clothes.

I had a good night, spending half of it producing bulletins & the other half reporting on South Africa’s attempts to finalise a constitution. It’s not often that we get a genuine good news story but we had one today - the extraordinary tale of a BA jumbo stewardess who glanced down at the Atlantic through a gap in the clouds at 11,000m & spotted a whiff of smoke being emitted by a burning trawler. She alerted the captain who radioed the coastguard. They sent out a helicopter which plucked 3 grateful fishermen from a life-raft. More stories like that would be nice instead of video of Liberian child soldiers on the rampage & limbless villagers in landmine-rich Cambodia. I suspect that the judicious strewing of landmines in the lawns around the Western factories that produce them might be a persuasive exercise. You get to realise after doing my job for a while what’s meant by the military industrial complex.

There’s no mail to speak of, other than an email from Conal telling me to be grateful for the note he sent me earlier & to stop trying to solicit more. The dentist has sent me a large bill for the equally large gold inlay he inserted last week. I cannot complain. It’s supremely comfortable & a lifetime investment. Cathy, I note that you have followed my example in obtaining new specs. Like you I put mine on when I wake & take them off when I sleep. I was grateful to be able to afford ultra-thin & strong lenses, a penny for every time the glasses would otherwise have slid down my nose. And regarding the pox of epidermal pustules that plague adolescent nieces we shall say no more lest we forfeit what affection remains.

Mavis has gone walkabout after being doused in love on my return from work. He resents spending the night alone & his squeaks of complaint echo through the door as I approach. I’ve barely time to put down my briefcase & take off my jacket before he must have his back scratched & his head rubbed with at least five minutes of reassurance. I have the flat to myself & 2 days to prepare it for the arrival of Aunty Bernie & friend on Tuesday morning. I tried to get some assistance from an occasional maid but she has vanished. I’ve a dozen letters to write & a meeting of flat owners to attend to decide on repairs to a house. Tonight I may win the lottery!

Jones I have watched the big black clouds over Portugal with every World Service weather report & felt for you. Still, let us be grateful for the rain & for a sound roof over Casa 3 at last. Thank you for your hard work. Nancy’s birthday, by the way, is on the 15th. I shall try to obtain your Michelin guide.