Portrait of the Week
Britain finally furled its flags after the Wedding, as the Prince and Princess of Wales began their honeymoon at Broadlands, home of the late Lord Mountbatten, from where the world's press gleaned the momentous revelation that the couple held hands while walking in the grounds. Gibraltar briefly unfurled its flags, when Prince Charles piloted the plane bringing the couple in to board the Royal Yacht for a two-week cruise. The world's press were unable to discover their destination, but again reported that the couple held hands. A 30-year-old escapologist was killed trying to escape from a sack in honour of the Wedding.
Another casualty of the Wedding was the President of Gambia Sir Dawda Jawara; while he was in the congregation at St Paul's Cathedral, a group of rebel army officers congregated in Banjul and staged a coup, obliging the President to seek military help from neighbouring Senegal. Americans returning home after the celebrations — arriving there in time for the start of the baseball season after an eight-week strike — found themselves victims of overbooking by the airlines, which had to pay large sums in compensation.
The Electricity Council did its bit for national celebrations by freezing prices until next April; and the civil servants loyally ended their dispute with the Government by accepting a 71/2 per cent pay rise, hardly any more than originally offered. The Government responded by announcing that there would have to be massive job cuts.
The House of Lords contributed to national pride by throwing out the Government's plans to cut the BBC's overseas services, but the Cabinet announced it was determined to go ahead with them, although Lord Carrington expressed personal regret at the curtailment of the service to Somalia. The BBC World Service to Australia carried news of English cricket's Wedding present — an astonishing victory in the third Test, bowling the Australians out for 121, and winning by 29 runs, with Ian Botham taking the last five wickets for only two runs.
It looked as if even the IRA was affected by the euphoric mood in Britain; the united front of the Maze hunger strike was broken when the mother and sister of Patrick Quinn told doctors to try to save his life as he reached his 47th day without food. But two other hunger strikers, the Irish MP Kieran Doherty and Kevin Lynch, died, bringing the total of deaths to eight. The IRA announced that they would be replaced on hunger strike, despite an appeal by the Catholic Primate. A report on the escape of IRA prisoner Gerald Tuite from Brixton jail revealed a `no-go' area for warders inside the prison and blamed the governor for lax security; an escape attempt was uncovered at Wormwood Scrubs with the discovery of a gun and ammunition; police would not say if an IRA prisoner was involved.
Even the by now almost traditional weekend rioting did not take place in inner cities. Mr Michael Heseltine took a party of unwilling City businessmen round the deprived areas of Merseyside to encourage increased investment. The Chief Inspector of Constabulary also went to the area, and the row about the disabled youth killed by a police vehicle was fuelled by another youth who claimeti that a policeman wielded a machete. Mrs Thatcher criticised the chairman of the Mersey Police Committee, Lady Simey, who said that people couldn't be blamed for rioting. Police discovered 100 petrol bombs in the immigrant section of Bradford, and the National Front announced plans for a march in Fulham to coincide with the Notting Hill carnival. Birmingham council deferred discussions on setting up brothels until councillors had seen 'overseas ones in operation'.
Mrs Reagan departed from the Wedding to find her husband equally euphoric, having got his tax cuts bill past the House of Representatives. The deposed president of Iran, Mr Bani-Sadr, was also celebrating, having safely escaped to France.
The mood of reasonable cheer, however, began to evaporate with the news that the rail unions were to begin a national rail strike at the end of the month unless British Rail paid the full 11 per cent awarded by a tribunal. There was concern as the Pope had another operation.
PH
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