Another tiring start to the day but again I buckled down to editing FOCUS newsletters before I heard upsetting news from poor Mrs Smith who phoned me about being burgled last night. Thatcher is lashing out at Ireland and Belgium for not agreeing Patrick Ryan’s extradition, but the evidence was incomplete and contradictory, and Britain has been contravening the European Convention on Human Rights for detention without trial which does not help. Thatcher is also distancing herself from her Chancellor Nigel Lawson, which is ominous, and US government has run into united condemnation from all other United Nations countries for its exclusion of the PLO leader from the country for a UN debate and they adjourn to Geneva to let Yasser Arafat speak there. The A45 was closed for 15 hours after a chemical lorry overturned and the lethal chemical called Resouranol was spilt, the second chemical disaster in two weeks.
I was tired again after waking this morning, but I ploughed on to get dressed for a belated breakfast of croissants with the children on their way out of the door. To my office, where I spent the day working on three editions of the Buckden FOCUS for each district’s award. Firstly, I transformed the text into correct format, fonts and more appealing copy; then I laid out the rest of the newsletter pages, all unfolded A3 (four A4 faces) with the last three pages common and the three individual fronts pieces. I was interrupted by a number of phone calls and visitors all day. Good news from my accountant who says that my affairs now seem to be up-to-date and in order. I plan to meet him at 9am the next morning to resolve details of my outstanding payments. Two calls and a visit from Percy who was anxious in the progress of the newsletters and then a couple of distressing calls. David Rudd phoned me to make arrangements of the return of my history file and I learnt that his brother, Granville, died yesterday. Then Mrs Smith of High Street, Little Paxton, phoned to tell me of the way in which she was burgled on Sunday night. She has a disabled and ill husband who is a problem to care for anyway; and was very upset by the theft of rings, watches, jewellery etc. She was weeping on the phone but consoled by calling me.
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I eventually got time to finish my FOCUS’s in late evening and then had a visit from Yvonne Brown from across Willow Close who was complaining about the development at Carisbrooke behind her and seeking help. Later, I stuck in my Little Paxton and personal press cuttings into the relevant scrapbooks before settling down to my journal. The news today is of mainly Irish and economic affairs. Thatcher is openly and harshly critical of the Irish Republic’s attitude towards the case of Patrick Ryan, who would not now be extradited to United Kingdom. She has now lashed out at Belgium and Ireland in successive days and derided their political and legal systems. In truth, the extradition case is based on very widely drawn ‘conspiracy to kill persons unknown’ charges which were found to have incomplete and contradictory evidence to back them up. Also, there are doubts about the fairness of the British system of justice for Irishmen. The British government is under criticism for its prevention of terrorism law which has provisions that have today been convicted for contravening the European Convention on Human Rights. Detention without trial, charge or appearance before a magistrate for more than a few days is in contravention of a ‘prompt’ appearance necessity. It seems that 48 hours is okay but not a week and now compensation claims are being planned by Republican lawyers. In the House of Commons, Chancellor Nigel Lawson had a mixed reception from Tory back-benchers and a hostile one from the opposition. It seems that Thatcher is beginning to distance herself from him, which is an ominous sign. The US government has run into united condemnation from all other United Nations countries for its exclusion of the PLO leader from the country for a UN debate. Now they will decide to adjourn to Geneva to let Yasser Arafat speak there. Locally, another chemical disaster for the second time in two weeks. The A45 was closed for 15 hours after a chemical lorry overturned and the lethal chemical called Resouranol was spilt.