DIARY OF THE YEAR
Wednesday 14 April: ASLEF called off the rail- ' way work-to-rule, but the NUR rejected British Rail's pay offer. to announced a £67m take- over bid for _an American chemicals firm, and Mr Nixon relaxed restrictions on travel and trade with China. Mr Brian Faulkner was pelted with stones and bottles.
Thursday 15 April: China seemed to be melting as the English ping-pang team was allowed to visit the Forbidden City, in Peking, and the London telephone link was restored. BOAC plans to cut some transatlantic fares by over £100 to 175. Armand Denis died aged seventy-four.
Friday 16 April: Complete defeat faced the Bangla Desh army, as the rebel capital, Chua- aanga, was abandoned after air attacks. A millionaire left his wife a shilling and four photos of herself in the nude; she said the will was forged. S Africa was reported to want to buy some frigates from Britain.
Saturday 17 April: The UDI of Bangla Desh was formally proclaimed under a mango tree while Government troops were only twenty miles away. Leeds United fans flooded on to the foot-
ball ground and tried to attack the referee. There was a row when a Birmingham teacher appeared naked in a sex education film.
Sunday 18 April: President Sadat felt stronger as a result of the Federation of Egypt, Syria and Libya. The Bengalis felt weaker by the hour as hundreds fled into India. Pedestrians between London and Southend felt uncomfort- able after being sprayed with paint from a pass- ing van.
Monday 19 April: 814,000 people had no work to do. Russia sent a new spacecraft to orbit the earth and will send six helicopters to Ceylon. Mr Heath insisted on continuing his economic policies. Mr Thorpe persisted in asking questions about the census.
Tuesday 20 April: M Chaban-Delmas, the French PM, said that France was really in fav- our of British entry into the EEC; the present obstacles served merely to clarify the position. The number of road accidents increased sharply in 1970 and America is to dispatch some more Phantom jets to Israel. Optimistic statements by Lockheed, its bankers and Mr John Davies seemed to ensure that the TriStar will use RB211 engines.
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