A Sea-link freight ferry in 1988
A Sea-link freight ferry in 1988

A visit to Dr Dumbleton at St Neots doctors’ surgery who firstly advised that I just needed pain killers for my cracked ribs and could carry on being active and secondly that he and Mrs Dumbleton would be voting for me in my election! After lunch with Di and Della at Tooks, I carried on canvassing for an hour gaining even more electoral support and being accompanied by a gang of small boys and girls ‘helping me’ and then to mow the games lawn. Two Sealink ferries broke the union’s picket line but many of the country’s ferries remain stranded by the embargo

I had a very poor night. I could not lay without acute chest pains for most of it and was quite incapacitated and in agony. It seemed almost like a spasm in the side of, and under, my ribcage and so this morning we decided to seek an emergency Doctor’s appointment. I telephoned the new St Neots group practice surgery in Huntingdon Street and they were good enough to let me come straight in, even though it was Saturday morning. I had visions of resting for the rest of the day, but the Doctor advised me that I should keep active and just take painkilling tablets. The idea is to keep the lungs fully inflated and avoiding lung infections and problems. I was glad to find the duty Doctor was Dr Dumbleton of The Dial, Little Paxton, and he volunteered the canvassing information that he and his wife will be voting for me next Thursday!

Staggered off to the dispensing chemist and then, my pills obtained, I walked round St Neots looking for Di and Della, until I found them at Readwells newsagents. We had coffee at Tooks and a roll and butter, so that I could take the first of my pills on a full stomach. Home then, so that I could have an hour canvassing in Hawthorne Close, where I won a good few votes before lunch. Back to it this afternoon and to Meadow and Manor Closes, where I found more people in than this morning. After tea, I was in Hayling Avenue and Davis Close, where a posse of small boys and girls followed me round and ‘helped’ me with their support. ‘Rested’ this evening, as Moira collected the canvass cards for inputting into the poll computer. I decided to mow the games lawn, as rain was threatening at the end of what had been a dull and misty day. The news today is of Sealink ferries, two of them, breaking the union’s strike by sailing to Dover and the crews being relieved by buses of ‘scabs’. Still many of the country’s ferries are stranded by embargo and the battle goes on.