Leading the quest with David Rudd and Derek Eyons, the St Neots Town Clerk, to see the District Council in Huntingdon to try and secure a site for St Neots Museum
Leading the quest with David Rudd and Derek Eyons, the St Neots Town Clerk, to see the District Council in Huntingdon to try and secure a site for St Neots Museum

A day which was sunny and dry but a little cold, we first served breakfast with our guests - Gary for Daniel and Helen for Debbie – before Debbie took her friend horse-riding and Amy and Katherine Law came to take Della for her first day back at school. Daniel had Gary all day and they used my computer to type a report for Gary's Dad.

I went with David Rudd and Derek Eyons, the St Neots Town Clerk, to see the District Council in Huntingdon to try and secure a site for St Neots Museum. Following continuing deadlock in the ambulance dispute, Clarke is rejecting any further talks, even though there is 90% public support for the ambulancemen and Tory back-bench M.P.'s are showing signs of anxiety and the outgoing chairman of British Rail, Sir Robert Reid, is highly critical of government policy towards the railways and calls for more capital investment

A better night's sleep, but still tired and looking forward to getting an earlier bedtime tonight. Breakfast with our guests - Gary for Daniel and Helen for Debbie. The girls went horse-riding today; Di took Debbie's bike so that one could cycle as the other rode and vice-versa. It was Della's first day back at school and Amy and Katherine Law came to go with her and that was fine, although Amy looked sad to see Debbie going horse-riding with another friend. Daniel had Gary all day and they used my computer to type a report for Gary's Dad. I had several telephone calls this morning, with the corrections on the copy that I had put out. Sally came around with a photo and then, much later, I amended the copy and printed out the final sheets and took them round to Michael Pope's place for him to deliver to Cambridge for printing in the morning.

** PRESS "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **

This afternoon, I was collected by David Rudd and we went to the District Council in Huntingdon to try and progress the business of a site for St Neots Museum. We were joined by Derek Eyons, the St Neots Town Clerk, and we saw Eric Heads and Tony Acres, the top people in the Technical Services Department. The bad news was that they are opposed to the use of Shady Walk site for a museum because they do not want to grant rights of access over the District Council car park. It would affect the value and use of their land for future development. The good news is that they are prepared to progress the use of part of the Riverside Park, St Neots, for a Museum and will resume the job of persuading the water authority to drop their opposition on drainage grounds. All this to be discussed at the Museum and Town Council meetings over the next two days. Today was sunny and dry, though a little cold, which made for a less depressing environment. I managed to complete my application for Dad's probate and to tidy up my office so as to avoid losing things. The news is of continuing deadlock in the ambulance dispute. Clarke is rejecting any further talks, even though the drivers have promised flexibility on amount and type of future formula. An opinion poll shows more than 90% public support for the ambulancemen and Tory back-bench M.P.'s are showing signs of anxiety. If the Doctor and Nurses review body soon recommends more for them, the government will be in even more political trouble. The outgoing chairman of British Rail, Sir Robert Reid, is highly critical of government policy towards the railways and calls for more capital investment.