Debbie spending the day at Offord riding stables
Debbie spending the day at Offord riding stables

I dropped off Debbie at the riding stables today, where she was present for the whole day riding twice grooming and cleaning stables and tack and then I managed to get my lawnmower into repair and bought a heavy duty electric strimmer before joining Diana and Della in St Neots for morning coffee. Some work in my office and some fishing later and then to Alec Norman in Bedford with money for a used steering box for the Rolls-Royce. I attended the Pathfinder House planning meeting and observe their proceedings. And IRA bomb attack on London’s Mill Hill barracks in Thatchers Finchley constituency as the soviet union destroys missiles under the INF treaty.

A better night’s sleep and awoken to my morning tea a little earlier than we would have liked, because we had to get Debbie off to her day at the riding stables. Breakfast of wheat flakes and, after scanning the morning’s mail, I set off to Offord to drop Debbie off. I was a bit irritated as I drove having received a refusal from the Technical Director of HDC to change the name of Rampley Lane. I then also saw, at the Buckden Marina, a boat on the crane hoist where the straps had slipped and the boat had nearly fallen over. It did not give me much confidence in the boatyard for next time we have to move The Lady. I then dropped into the agricultural merchants, Ibbotts, in Great Paxton and managed to get my lawn mower in for repair on a turnaround of a few days.

Yet another irritation of being let down by Pete, as he has no idea on how to look after equipment. Whilst there, I also bought a new heavy-duty electric strimmer. Home and off with Diana and Della to St Neots for morning coffee and a little shopping afterwards. Della chose to come with me rather than Di, which was rather nice. Home afterwards, when I assembled the strimmer and spoke closely to Pete about what he should be doing to avoid further problems. I also got him to sieve the shrub bed surfaces and dress them with mature compost from our overly-large heap. Lunch and then a little work in my office on National Savings Certificates for the children’s trusts. Later, a little attempt on a humid, still afternoon to do a little fishing. At 4.15pm off by car to Bedford to pass over an envelope with £300 for Alec Norman to buy a second hand steering box from London. My attempt to buy pool chemicals from Great Barford was thwarted, as they had closed early. I then collected Debbie, who had enjoyed a good day at the stables, riding twice, grooming, cleaning stables and tack and is looking forward to the rest of the week. After tea this evening, I opted to go to the Planning Committee meeting at Pathfinder House and spent a long, but fairly interesting, evening watching and listening to its deliberations. I stayed long enough to hear the Committee overturn the Parish Council’s objection to infilling between Riversdale and Grassmere, Little Paxton. Today was not too productive in terms of the local history project, but I enjoyed it as a blend between family and public responsibilities. The meeting being rather long-winded, I wrote up today’s journal whilst watching. The news today was of the bomb explosion at London’s Mill Hill Barracks. This explosion, which killed one and injured many, is now attributed to the IRA, who deliberately chose a location in Mrs Thatcher’s Finchley constituency on the eve of her overseas tour. A man who was severely brain damaged by an accident during a Newcastle Hospital operation, has been awarded £1/2 million damages, which will safeguard his future after his parents can no longer look after him. To fuel my doubts over the ‘pig organ’ transplant plans, the kidney surgeon concerned at Dulwich Hospital, Michael Bewick, has resigned after a row with colleagues about the publicity attracted. The Soviet Union has destroyed missiles at the Sareyosek, central Asia, test range, under the INF Treaty. The Anglican Communion will now welcome women Priests and Bishops in those provinces where the decision is made in their favour, but each province will respect the rules and views of each other.