Discussing the predicament of Di's brother Charlie and family
Discussing the predicament of Di's brother Charlie and family

Still a bit weak and shaky from my cold/'flu I agreed to accompany Di for our Cambridge trip to have morning coffee with her parents in Eadon Lilley's and discuss the predicament of Charlie. Also attended the Village Hall Meeting later. It was increasingly windy and very wet today and then got colder overnight.

I was still a bit weak and shaky from my cold/'flu but decided that I should join Diana for her regular weekly trip to Cambridge. I wanted her to go later and for a shorter time than usual but she was adamant that there was too much Christmas Shopping to do and so we got ready and left soon after 9.00am. We had morning coffee with her parents in Eadon Lilley's and there discussed the predicament of Di's brother Charlie and family. He is still out of work and, because of the way he had set up his finances by working for his own company on contract, is not getting any security benefit or help with his mortgage.

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

Norma was thinking about letting him have their house and going to live in Spain but I was trying to advise against that as that would just allow him to compound his predicament and could leave her and Charles Snr. stuck over there. We are not going to help him financially either as he turned down a £25,000 job with Channel 4 and must learn the financial realities of life. We still cannot believe he really turned down that job offer. I advised them that he should be asked to re-apply to Channel 4 and also liquidate his company so as to remove this barrier to social security benefit to sort himself out.

All this conversation was very depressing and left Diana in no mood to do her shopping after all, but we found a few things; a new leather key-fob for me, knickers for Della and something for Debbie before meeting again for lunch in The Arts Theatre Restaurant. The drive back home and then the rest of the afternoon resting and reading some shooting magazines bought on my trip to Cambridge.

After tea, I opted to go along to the Village Hall Management Committee Meeting for the first time in a few months and there saw the new lady chairman enthusiastically conducting the meeting. I was pleased that there at last seems to be the will for the Parish Council to take over the responsibility for paying the costs of major work to the Hall in the years to come. It was increasingly windy and very wet today and then got colder overnight.