10 July 2011

Shortly after Sally (Murphy) –’Sally No.2′ – and Natasha had got me up, dressed and planted me in my study chair, the taxi arrived to take the good Dr to Stansted airport for his flight to Sweden. His next visit will be two for three days before he returns to Australia, at the beginning of August. (We received an e-mail from him late afternoon to say he had arrived safely and was ensconced in his hotel close to the airport. Apparently, the newlyweds Kate and Sim, arrive early tomorrow morning so Mick was hanging on to drive them to Loa)
                     
Then ‘Bill and Ben’, ourr handymen, arrived to do one or two little jobs that Alice had lined up for them.

Smiler, came to lunch and the weather was fine enough for me to go out in my electric wheelchair to have our lunch in the garden and then to enjoy a small cigar. My dear daughter-in-law, Kimberly, -who was tied up with some other business or other and therefore unable to join us – sent us a really delicious upside down pineapple and cherry cake that she had baked that very morning.

When we were driven in, from the garden, by a shower I persuaded Smiler to use the hoist to put me. back into my study chair, when he did with ease. It was just like yesterday, two naughty schoolboys doing something they shouldn’t. As this wad the second day running that I had persuaded someone totally inexperienced in using the hoist to use it to get out of my wheelchair I’m hoping that the message is sinking in with ‘my lovely ‘which will enable me to persuade her to have a go herrself and thus liberate me more regularly from my study chair.

Today saw the final demise of that rag, the News of the World, newspaper, after 168 years (not 165 as I said yesterday,) it will be no great loss although amazingly they printed 5 million copies today assuming that people would want to have a souvenir copy – no thanks!. The great media mogul himself, Rupert Murdoch, has flown in to try to rescue, or at least mitigate, the damage caused by the hacking scandal and to personally oversee the purchase of the unowned portion of BskyB. However, the plot thickens, as Murdoch himself has suggested that the matter be referred to the Monopolies Commission – which, to date, he has been fighting tooth and nail to avoid. It seems possible that he hopes that during the six months or so delay – which is the estimated time that it is thought it will take for the Monopolies Commission to come to a decision – the heat will come off News International – Murdoch’s parent company – and that people will have forgotten about the problems arising from thr telephone hacking and the News of the world. If I was Murdoch I would not be holding my breath. Of course, it could be that Murdoch is finding it difficult to lay his hands on the £5 billion to buy the shares!