September99

September 1 1999

Sixty years ago today the German battleship Schleswig Holstein opened fire on Poland, followed by a tank invasion. At 11 am (nine hours from now as I write) the Prime Minister addressed the country by radio, and announced that we were at war.

But we begin with a light-hearted piece.

Guardian Diary: We are delighted to learn of a stay of execution for Lucky the guide dog.
"We won't put him down," says Ernst Gerber, a dog trainer in Wuppertal, Germany. "Lucky is basically a damn good guide dog. He just needs a little brush-up on his skills, that's all."
Despite being responsible for the deaths of four of his owners - leading the first in front of a bus and second off a pier, the third was pushed off a railway platform, and the fourth led into heavy traffic - Ernst insists Lucky will be fine with his new master, reports Reuters.
Owner number five, however, will not be told of the dog's past. "It would make Lucky nervous," says Ernst. "And when Lucky gets nervous he's liable to do something silly."

What a year this is turning out for remembrances! It seems no time since Ian, Sam and I sat in the kitchen smoking and celebrating the end of the war - and now here we are pondering its start.

It was quite a summer that, 95. End of the war, then my parents' golden wedding anniversary, sadly ending with my mother's death in the last four hours of 95, to the day and hour of my own birth. Drama and timing have always been important in my family. More on these family matters here.

Scott has gone to sea. Tony was 40 yesterday, the anniversary of Princess Di's death, but he is ill. Stuart has left his Nursing Home to pursue agency work. Ali and Dolly are getting a Supercomp on Tuesday, and I am to go round and install it. I myself was poorly at the weekend, with gastro-enterthingy. Better now, but minus two day's wages. Nineties survival demands good health. Weaken for just a moment, and it's "hello cardboard city" and "wanna buy a Big Issue?" - Mrs Thatcher's dream state.

Some day we might write about the war, but not tonight. Bit too emotional, really.