My late father, Fred, and his troublesome ear in the sun
My late father, Fred, and his troublesome ear in the sun

A windy day after a late night such that I struggled to resume my history writing before then embarking on a series of journeys, the most important of which was to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, to see dad and talk his surgeon about the cancer that has affected his ear. After collecting Debbie from a successful horse-riding lesson, and Daniel from his Buckden voluntary school service, I contributed significantly to the Little Paxton Village Hall Committee meeting. Former Prime Minister Ted Heath criticises the lack of government funding for the Channel Tunnel and the 11th rise in prescription charges since Thatcher took over in 1979 has been widely criticised

A windy day today which was quite unsettling. I had a very late night and was struggling this morning to get going but I fed the fish and then did some more work on my Post-War Development section. I also spoke to David Potter, the HDC Planning Director and then typed up a letter to ask formally for permission to use certain of their information in my book. After lunch, I had to set off on a range of journeys. Firstly, I had to take Di to Bedford so that the Rolls-Royce could be collected and then I rushed over to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, to see Dad and talked his surgeon about the cancer that has affected his ear. They have removed the skin from the inside of his right ear and the cartilage in the middle there have also taken a strip from under his arm and will place it on his ear tomorrow in another simple operation. The tissue removed from his ear has been sent for biopsy and it be a week before they can confirm the cancer type. It seems that this one is a species that can start secondary growth elsewhere and so we will have to keep our fingers crossed.

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After Addenbrookes, another rush to Kimbolton to pick up Debbie and to take her via Buckden (where I collected Daniel from his voluntary school service) to horse riding at Offord. Fiona, her teacher, feels that she is making good progress which is encouraging. This evening, I had a meeting of the Little Paxton Village Hall Committee where I contributed a few suggestions that were implemented. Whilst I was out, Percy and Pat Meyer came around and used my Apple Mac whilst I was out which made good use of the resource. The news is of the new President’s Defence Secretary nominee, Tower, being turned down by the Senate. Thatcher is under pressure from her predecessor, Ted Heath, to booked government money into the Channel Tunnel rail network. Also new £2.80 prescription charges (and a £10 eye test charge) are being attacked by health unions and political opposition groups who call them taxes on the sick. The prescription charges have risen 11 times since 1979 – the year Thatcher came to power when the charge was 20p.