A full day of visits to Biggleswade for Shopping, then Jordon’s for their duck and dove food, wheat flakes and honeycomb and then on to Cambridge for the grand launch of the Jaguar XJ40, at which I ordered the top-of-the-range Daimler as their second deal and we enjoyed some copious hospitality and then home to witness my old contact Kenneth Baker trying to plot a moderate course on Education at the Conservative Party Conference whilst ‘boot-boy’ Norman Tebbit tried to wind everybody up and then I had to switch off as John Major took the stand with Edwina Currie! A strike at Lucas threatens Austin Rover production and the first new Independent newspaper edition looks good today but neighbours Eddie and Stella looked to have quite failing health
Slept well and aroused quickly to my morning tea on another warm and humid day. Only a little dew, for a change, and the sun was soon rising above the morning mist. Down to a breakfast of boiled egg, which we enjoyed and then I sat out under the south balcony in the morning sun, reading today’s mail and relaxing. I had brought through the white garden bench of plastic, which is an improvement on the collection of jumble that was there before. I fed the doves and was ready to go out when Di got back from taking Debbie to school. We drove off towards Biggleswade today, as we were due in Cambridge tonight, and took the Escort Estate to get some goods. First parked in Biggleswade High Street and were pleased that we can always do this there, without troubling over car parks and charges.
Had morning coffee, before browsing from shop to shop. I bought 3lbs of my favourite conference pears and then a fine broom head and long 5ft handle. The latter was of a good compromise stiffness and texture, being softer than the rigid yard brooms, yet more substantial than inside brushes. Back to the car after our free hours parking, then out to Holme Mills, where we bought layers pellets for the ducks and mixed corn for the doves. We also dropped into Jordans shop to look at the goodies and top up with wheat flakes. I got some more genuine honeycomb, which I shall relish. A beautifully sunny and warm day that has the commentators talking of an ‘Indian’ summer. Being so nice, I took us to The Anchor at Tempsford for lunch and we had our food and drinks in the riverside garden. Della played on the ‘Boot’, a children’s play house and slide, and I walked down to the moorings to see yet another house boat (narrow boat equipped for a homeless person to live in) and also an old chap leaving from the pub in a 2HP –powered inflatable, after a drink. Drove home after and got back to my painting. Coated the inner garage white work with gloss and then used some mastic and a gun to seal round the Hayling View windows on the east wing, ground floor, which had never previously been done. Had a visit from the Eastern Gas Board’s fitter, who alarmed us by first pointing out that the supply line for our built in cooker was made of illegal rubber hose, rather than metal and then pointed out the similar illegitimacy of having an open-flame (naked flame) boiler in the garage, where petrol fumes could be ignited. Glad he came! In the early evening, we quickly got showered and changed and then took the Jaguar to Cambridge for Marshall’s unveiling of the new XJ40. A colourful event. We were greeted with sherry and, after a rousing ceremony of girls provocatively rolling back the cars covers, champagne, before wine with a salad buffet supper. Di was hoping for a separate meal after, but they catered for us so well that it would have been churlish not to accept. Gateaux, then cheese and coffee after, won her round. We were the second to order one of the new cars and Di insisted upon a Daimler top-of-the range model. Marshalls had extended their showrooms onto the forecourt with a marquee and there were 150+ there. Home after and arrived about 10.00pm, with Daniel fast asleep and the girls fine. On such a nice warm night, and with Diana’s period at last over, I dressed her up in suspenders and stockings in bed and we finished off the evening to our mutual satisfaction. The Conservative Conference today opened in its mood of synchronised and orchestrated loyalty. Chairman Norman Tebbit, the right-wing ‘boot-boy’ knocking the Labour Party and proclaiming the Tories as the only credible party. At least my old acquaintance, Kenneth Baker, put on a good positive show of moderation and advocated a progressive approach to improving school education. He received a good reception and ovation in his first Conference as Education Secretary and is tipped as a possible future Tory leader. I could not stomach the prospect of a debate about social security, with John Major replying as a Minister. From the several times I have met him as an MP, when he visited my factory, I know this ex-whip to be a doctrinaire right-winger and the presence of Edwina Curry on the platform was a further inducement for me to switch off the TV. Reagan and Gorbachev are posturing before the Iceland mini-summit; the Americans insisting that civil rights concessions have to be made and the Russians trying to keep the discussion to arms control and a ban on nuclear tests. It seems that an agreement on intermediate weapons is on the cards, which could eliminate the plans for cruise missiles at Molesworth. A strike at Lucas, an electrical components company, is threatening to bring Austin Rover volume car production to a complete halt, for want of supplies. I bought a copy of the new ‘Independent’ newspaper today, which was very good and will certainly steal most readers from the Times, which has become too cheap and politically biased under Murdoch’s rule. More fine weather is forecast. I met Eddie and Stella today, our previous neighbours from Gordon Road, made plans for our neighbourhood bonfire on Friday following November 5th, and was quite distressed to see how their health is failing them – with his bad chest from a lifetime’s smoking, and her leg and back trouble. Age overtakes us all and I shall soon be 40!