Taking Diana on a visit to Chelsea flower Show despite injuring my foot by stepping on a nail yesterday as the election campaign heats up with mutual abuse of employment policies where the state of the West Midlands industries is key and UK police manpower is another key issue. In South Africa, three policemen were killed in car bomb blasts.
Awoke feeling my sore foot – I had stepped on a plank nail yesterday and limped for the rest of the day. Over morning tea, I pointed out my dilemma to Di, with our planned visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in the balance. Showered etc as usual, with no difference to my injury, and then dressed for breakfast with the family. After, I settled into my office to carry on with my paperwork. Today’s mail and then more work on my financial summaries. Morning coffee at 10.00am, then out to see Mr Larkin and discuss his plans. I also fed the doves and noticed that the first of this year’s chicks has left the nest – a brown-bar fantail.
At 11.00, Mr Boughton of Imperial Conservatories visited and I specified double glazing for the roof as well as the walls. A latish lunch, when Di’s parents arrived and we could get ready to leave. Off in the Daimler and a straight run at speed down the A1 motorway. Within 1 ¼ hours we were in Chelsea, then parked and out of the car in an hour and a half! We were early for the 4.00pm reduced entry fee time and so bought a burger and hot dog by Chelsea Bridge and looked at the Thames. Once in, both me and Di enjoyed our visit and she was pleasantly surprised at the range and interest of the exhibits. The smooth trip home in time at 9.00pm to feed the ducks and check on the river work (still much to do). The family were fine, though Debbie had been upset at losing her cuddly (Lulie), which she eventually found. The news today was of the election again. Roy Hattersley of Labour said that the Tory economic policies depended upon unemployment. Kinnock told much the same story in the North West. The Alliance is particularly scathing about the government’s ‘Action for Jobs’ campaign, saying that millions of pounds of tax-payers money has been spent trying to say that the policy is right, on a pre-election spree. Thatcher rejects the opposition parties jibe that the Tories do not care about the underprivileged. Steel says that a third term for Thatcher would be a disaster of historic magnitude. The Midlands is a key political battlefield – West Midlands Engineering and East Midlands Coal Mining, where the union troubles have split the workforce. Former Tory MP, Harvey Proctor, was convicted of indecent behaviour with minor males and was fined £1500. The teachers are to intensify the strikes in the run up to the election. In South Africa, three policemen were killed in car bomb blasts. Back here, the Police Federation Chairman has warned that police face the most serious law and order crisis in their history and that Chief Officers were at ‘their wits end’ to find sufficient manpower to deal with it.