A day of important meetings with my two Trustees making investment and taxation decisions and then with Percy and David Rooney about my decision to stand down from local political activity. Collecting Della from the school bus stop and having to insist that she did not run ahead again and then Debbie coming home from the Kimbolton dentist upset with her uncomfortable new brace. Di and I left the girls this evening to join the Blooms for dinner for a fine Chinese meal in Sawtry
The girls set off for school via the bus again and then I set about getting ready for the first of today's meetings. I was still a bit slow and groggy after my convalescence and the efforts of the week and so only just managed to get out on time to meet Roger Brittain and Gerard Chadwick at The Shrubbery, St Neots. We met for two hours and discussed my financial affairs with relevance to the forthcoming end of the tax year on April 5th. We also reviewed the action that needed to be taken with the possibility of a Labour Government after the election as I would need to shelter the estate from harsher Income and Capital Taxation.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
It was a very successful meeting and I ended up feeling that my existing plans were quite sufficient and that the few measures that I needed to take could be effected quite easily. I would need to pay Daniel more income from his settlement trust to save taxation but would want him to save the money and not spend it. Then we would need to put more money into the Heritage Trust from Diana's estate either as a loan or, better still as the Inheritance Tax threshold will probably be raised from £140K to something higher, as additional settled funds. Home to have an hour or two for lunch and to plan this afternoon's meetings and then I telephoned Percy and David Rooney to arrange to see them together. I was already expecting to see David at 2.00pm and, judging that he was going to want to know how much time I was going to spend on the election campaign and in what way, I thought that I would also see Percy as well as he had the same questions in mind.
This afternoon session went well with David ending up briefed on St Neots affairs and both of them happy with my reasons for not leading the campaign and aware of the time I could spend and upon what. Then it was up to me to go and collect Della from her school bus stop, but I was waylaid by the Welsh eccentric from the High Street who kept talking to me and then followed me down the road. His intentions are good but his odd changes to his house are held in deep suspicion by his neighbours. Home with Della but I had to tell her off for running ahead of me because that is how her accident happened. Once home, Diana told me that Della had done exactly the same thing the day before! Soon Daniel was home from Norwich and it was good to see him.
Then Diana brought Debbie home from the Kimbolton dentist and the poor girl was feeling very sorry for herself because she had been fitted with uncomfortable braces. She could eat no tea and was quite inconsolable until later. Di ordered the children's tea from Lucci's Bell A Pizza delivery service and Steven Bloom called and invited her and I to go up to Sawtry to have dinner with them. He was cooking a fine Chinese meal of stir-fried beef and had more than they could manage. We left the girls in Daniel's care and enjoyed a nice evening. Home a little late but pleased at the chance to get out for once. Luckily, Debbie seemed to settle down to be all right but Della (who is sitting here reading as I write), says that I must add that Debbie forgot to send her to bed at 8.30pm.