Paddy Ashdown was well received for his first speech to the SLD conference as party leader
Paddy Ashdown was well received for his first speech to the SLD conference as party leader

After making the breakfasts with mixed appreciation, I spent some time in the garages wiping the cars on another damp day and even a short break in the weather on the games lawn hollows before Parish Councillor Paul Ambrose visited on Parish business. More work tonight preparing my plans and comments for the Economic Development Committee tomorrow. An armed raid on a nightclub near Ilford was followed by a Police chase, another UDR man is shot and Paddy Ashdown was well received for his first speech to the SLD conference as party leader. Not much more success for Britain in the Olympics as the Russians and East Germans are way ahead

I was the one to get up and make the drinks this morning, as Diana remains determined to make this practice a tradition! Just had time to shower and shave before my Sunday fried breakfast, which was the same as usual except Di said ‘she could not find a tomato’: I have a lot to put up! I went out to wash the Range Rover this morning but found the fine rain falling and, as it was not too dirty anyway, I just wiped the windows in the garage. I then polished the Rolls-Royce in its garage which is a job I have not done for a while, though I did just give it a shampoo last week. Lunch intervened and so did Paul Ambrose from the Parish Council who came round to discuss the School Lane flats planning application how to get action on the village’s footpaths and roads.

I was up a ladder at the time, doing the long overdue job of wiring up the young shoots of the wisteria and thus training them on the trellis. They were up to the top but needed to go along as well. This carried on after lunch and then I went to the games lawn and raised some turves in the deepest hollows where my layer of top dressing was in danger of killing and smothering the grass. This took until tea and then a little while after clearing up. Worked for a couple of hours tonight on my plans and comments for the Economic Development Committee tomorrow. Also phoned Mark Slater but he will be missing the meeting tomorrow again just when I could have used his help! Still managed to detail a few issues including the plan of mine to try buying the Riversfield Science Park site. Main news tonight is of a raid on a nightclub near Ilford after which a gang of men were chased by the police in a running shooting battle. Another UDR man shot dead in Northern Ireland. Paddy Ashdown was well received for his first speech to the SLD conference as party leader and now must preside over a successful week to restore the party’s flagging fortunes in the opinion polls. Not much more success for Britain in the Olympics as we have yet to get a track and field Gold. The Russians and East Germans are way ahead of the USA with twice as many medals so far.