This of 1995, was a very significant time in my life. It started cold and icy with cruel storms and high tides threatening the Norfolk coast and we struggled with flood water in Horning.
Gales followed later in Eastern England with many trees down. We found gloriously hot weather in California but we returned to experience both the warmest and the driest summer since the 17th century.
The autumn followed mild and damp but there was a storm surge of up to 15 feet in Florida, and a powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Mexico occurred.
The lowest ever UK temperature was recorded at -27.2°C at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands
In October, astronomers discovered 51 Pegasi b, the first confirmed extrasolar planet as NASA launched Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-73 mission.
As I started working with my Psion 3a for mobile communications, this month was all about my relationship with Wiggly accelerating and me ending my marriage.
I still had some family time and took them to California for the last time, and then opted not to go on a possible day trip from San Diego to Mexico in favour of a more relaxing Pacific Beach outing in the sun.
My health was a major issue before I left as I suffered from an acute food poisoning rash but I still tried to spend time with the girls, checking in with the family regularly and keeping up with Debbie who told me all about her night out clubbing in Cambridge and seems very happy at the moment to have discovered the other sex!
This month started with my relationship with Wiggly accelerating and threatening my marriage but I still made the effort to keep family life together and even fulfilling the holiday with Diana and the girls to California.
Once back, I still tried to spend time with family trips out, helping Debbie with her exam revision but, by May, my affair came to a head and my marriage became virtually over.
My holiday outings resumed with Wiggly; cruising on The Paxton Princess for a boating holiday and also driving to Edinburgh to enjoy several days at the Fringe Festival.
I still attended Debbie's 16th Birthday Party and Della's 11th Birthday Party and Kimbolton Prep Swimming Gala.
I was making the effort to keep in touch with my girls; taking then roller-skating, Woburn Safari Park, and rewarded Debbie (for her five grade "A" GCSE's amongst nine) with the black mountain bike that she wanted. Later,
Debbie enjoyed her Kimbolton School 6th form party and Della started at the main school.
The disease, caught courtesy of Wiggly, was being treated but accelerated this separation as I had to protect Di’s health by abstaining. We later had received the ‘All Clear’ from Dr Edgar at our important clinic appointments. There followed a Norfolk holiday with Wiggly at Harnser and aboard The Paxton Princess and I moved into Montague Street with Wiggly, reorganising our working space there and she performed the role of mistress and temptress. There were some benefits with her public service as newly-elected Councillor, as we could sit on a special viewing stand to see the St Neots Carnival procession aloft of the crowds and had been invited to the VIP lunch beforehand.
I was still the regional organiser, arbitrating on many LibDem squabbles, welcoming new members and getting colleagues elected to key posts and helping my fellow St Ives LibDems to settle their differences. I still found time to work on elections, managing the party election commitments and winning all of the Eynesbury and Eaton Socon by-election District seats. This whilst still fighting the St Neots Town Council races and supporting fund-raising events and activities.
Wiggly combined her new role as St Neots Town Councillor with helping me at Redgrave and still enjoying her amateur dramatics, winning her preferred role as Fatima in Sinbad.
I had a busy time with property management; resubmitting the Cambridge Street planning application with Nigel.
I was trying to progress the Heronshaw rebuilding plans but the bad news from Mr Hurrill of Wroxham builders was that Broads Authority planners were querying our rebuilding design. I agreed to the design for the Heronshaw replacement, and a £3,500 alteration to Harnser.
However, this was a decisive time for my ownership of Redgrave. Freda and Alf, had let the Redgrave property deteriorate in absolute squalor and made the future of the stores more difficult when they turned down the chance of having a National Lottery terminal!
I agreed with Louis Drake of Spar a promising budget and with Keith Warnes, the builder, about separating the cottage from the shop and for a bathroom for the shop flat.
I contracted former employee, Sarah Francis, to join us as manager and she and her parents were keen for her to move in.
We then greeted her to take over as the shop manager and I was successfully interviews for the job of sub-postmaster.
We completed the Spar forms together and made our decision to go with them as our wholesaler and meetings followed thick and fast.
I found the Redgrave Parish Chairman, Cllr Roger Gwyn and his wife very supportive of my plans and I secured approval from Bury St Edmunds magistrates court for granting our Protection Order to me to trade in alcohol.
I managed a trip to my forest of Broubster with Wiggly to discuss management issues with Fountain Forestry but my dog Sam injured his foot but otherwise excelled.
Back home, he did well in training and field trials, learning all the while. Wiggly and I met up with her sister in Newcastle on the way back.
Once home, I met up with Jim and Nigel to share relationship issues and for dog-training and shooting outings.
Nigel's Gypsy shooting incident was the subject of TV news broadcasts with his subsequent arrest being an issue I had to help with.
Norwich City were struggling in the Premier League, losing form and doing badly, but they drew an exciting match with Manchester City and triumphed 3-0 against local rivals Ipswich Town.
I saw England beat Scotland to take the Calcutta Cup, the Grand Slam and the Five Nations Championship in their international Rugby matches all in one go. T
The European Court of Justice ruled that all EU football players have the right to a free transfer between European Union member states at the end of their contracts in a landmark decision, known as the 'Bosman ruling'.
The Tory government was being hassled over teachers’ pay and struggling with NHS problems as their anti-Europe sceptic members pulled them apart. This, as Labour won the South Wales by-election. Elsewhere, there were acute problems with the UK Prison's Service as one inmate died through lack of supervision and many more escaped from Parkhurst with officer's morale at rock bottom.
A serious and deepening financial crisis developed as the City of London was hit by its oldest merchant bank, Barings, failing after losing £400m on foreign exchange dealings in Singapore. Tory leader John Major was now offering himself for re-election as his authority over the Conservative party was waning.
He had major problems on his hands over the European Common's vote and Tony Blair was hosting a breakfast at The Dorchester with many top businessmen to compete for support. The pound sterling hit new lows and interest rate rises seem to be on the cards. More than 80% of local authorities have cut back in their provision of Social Services following government grant cuts.
Major Parker-Bowles, husband of the Prince of Wales’s former mistress Camilla, has announced their plans for divorce after a two-year separation leading to speculation that Prince Charles will divorce Lady Diana and marry Camilla.Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother successfully underwent hip surgery.
Elsewhere, Russian forces take over the rebel Chechen town of Grozny after 10’s of thousands die on both sides. Twenty world leaders will attend the Polish commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Auschwitz. Talks between the PLO and Israel have led to hope that the present stand-off can be solved and a return to the peace process made.
US President Clinton was urging restraint after some politicians advocated revenge on Islamic militants fighting in the former Yugoslavia where Bosnian Serbs were holding British United Nations peacekeeping troops captive as hostages to ward off further air-raids but then they were being released and the immediate crisis seems to be over for the moment.
As now ‘normal’, there were mass shootings and terrorist attacks in the US and their police reputation continued to fall.
The biggest shock and news was of Indira Gandhi, India's first female prime minister, being assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards in a shocking act of political violence.
In the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, a right-wing Jewish extremist, who opposed his peace efforts with the Palestinians.
In December, he Israeli army withdrew from Nablus, and Palestinians took control of Bethlehem, as significant steps in the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements after which Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres addressed both houses of the US Congress.
PLO leader Yasser Arafat makes a surprising and significant diplomatic gesture by visiting Israel to pay respects to the family.
Three big aircraft crashed in December, killing a total of 371 passengers.
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A cold, icy month with cruel storms and high tides threatening the Norfolk coast. Often, the days started frosty with cars covered in ice and we struggled with flood water in Horning and then experienced more snow and ice in Scotland. A powerful 7.2 earthquake killed and injured thousands in Japan. This month of February started fair and Scotland was still cold, but gales followed later in Eastern England with many trees down.
We found gloriously hot weather in California after snow, ice and rain at home during a month. Mostly mild but there were a few hard frosts at times but warm in California A good month of weather, Some drizzly and warmer days up to 90sF of unusual hot, humid and sultry weather With daytime temperatures in the low 90's, it transpired that we had already experienced both the warmest and the driest summer since the 17th century.
As I started working with my Psion, my health was a major issue this month as I suffered from an acute food poisoning rash. As well as updating my investment summary and working on my Financial Summaries for the year, I checked in with the family and spoke to Debbie who told me all about her night out clubbing in Cambridge and seems very happy at the moment to have discovered the other sex.
I opted not to go on a possible day trip from San Diego to Mexico in favour of a more relaxing Pacific Beach outing in the sun. When parking outside Montague Street, I suffered vandalism and had to replace the Discovery's slashed tyres, also mobilising the neighbours and police accordingly.
This month started with my relationship with Wiggly accelerating and threatening my marriage as we went to parties, events and trips to London together. I still made the effort to keep family life together with shopping trips, pantomime evenings meals out and cinema outings as Debbie was trying hard to do well with her GCSE Mock Exams.
Much of my private time was spent seeing Wiggly as our relationship deepened but I still tried to see Diana as well fulfilling the family holiday to California; with time first in San Francisco, then Anaheim at favourite venues such as Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm, Disneyland in the north.
Then the ships and Sea World Park in Dan Diego, where we started in the south visiting the Zoo and then drove north to see my normal sites; Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Muir Woods, Alcatraz and Angel Island. During the entire holiday I was pining for Wiggly despite the surrogate sex with Diana but, once back, I spent many nights with her.
Even so, I still tried to spend time with family trips out, helping Debbie with her exam revision. By May, my affair came to a head and my marriage became virtually over. With my relationship with Wiggly deepening, we were out for meals, shopping and even taking trips on Lady Martina. I was hosting my last outings with Diana with whom I was still suffering parental problems with Debbie together.
The infection, caught courtesy of Wiggly, was being treated but accelerated my separation with Diana with whom I could not confide the matter and so she never knew why our marriage had to come to a sudden halt; but it was to protect her health!
The Relate Counselling meeting with Diana was quite a stressful exercise, but a useful one too, though it could not change the outcome. I was moving into Montague Street with Wiggly and reorganising our working space there and she was being the perfect mistress and temptress. There were some mixed experiences with Wiggly but I still made arrangements for us to rent No3 Park Way for us.
Then my missive to Diana followed. After some last ditch reconciliation attempts, Diana shut the door sharply in my face at The Hayling View saying, "Girls, Dad does not live here any more" finalizing our separation which ended my marriage.
There followed a Norfolk holiday with Wiggly at Harnser and aboard The Paxton Princess It was during this month that I finally moved into Wiggly’s flat whilst we looked for a place to rent together. A busy month of social activity seeing shows with both Wiggly and Diana and also taking part in family events with the girls.
These included Debbie's 16th Birthday Party and Della's 11th Birthday Party and Kimbolton Prep Swimming Gala but I was sad at not being able to see them more often. This was the first full month with my time with Wiggly during which we did many things together. and she was preoccupied with her dramatic vocation as I was helping her with Council duties and tussling with property issues.
There were some benefits with her public service, as we could sit on a special viewing stand to see the St Neots Carnival procession aloft of the crowds and had been invited to the VIP lunch beforehand. Her medical condition was improving we enjoyed lots of films at the cinema and overnight stays in Cromer, Norwich and Horning.
I was making the effort to keep in touch with my girls; taking then roller-skating, Woburn Safari Park, and rewarded Debbie (for her five grade "A" GCSE's amongst nine) with the black mountain bike that she wanted. Even so, these visits were very difficult for Diana and we discussed further her demands for me to stay away, and we could not agree.
I had two main holiday outings this month with Wiggly; cruising on The Paxton Princess for a boating holiday and also driving to Edinburgh to enjoy several days at the Fringe Festival as Wiggly formally finally presented her resignation letter as her career had been mishandled by Unilever.
Also arbitrating on many LibDem squabbles, welcoming new members. It was a busy month for me as the local organiser for the Liberal Democrats getting colleagues elected to key posts and helping my fellow St Ives LibDem in crisis. Also supervising the local elections for the Liberal Democrats, though the Town Council one was postponed due to our candidate’s death.
The Tories were in acute disarray allowing us to dominate the field. I still found time to work on elections, updated my phone and computer and continued to manage the LibDem election commitments winning all of the Eynesbury and Eaton Socon District seats. This whilst still fighting the St Neots Town Council races and supporting fund-raising events and activities.
Helping and advising the LibDems new reign at the St Neots Town Council meeting and their enlarged group on the District Council as well as reconciling problems at the St Ives Branch LibDems. I had been again organising some LibDem branch affairs and FOCUS advertising plans.
Nigel and I had a reverse over our Cambridge Street planning application and I was trying to progress the Heronshaw rebuilding plans but the bad news from Mr Hurrill of Wroxham builders was that Broads Authority planners were querying our rebuilding design. Roy’s department store suffered serious fire damage this month. I agreed to the design for the Heronshaw replacement, and a £3,500 alteration to Harnser.
However, this was a decisive month for my ownership of Redgrave. Freda and Alf, had let the Redgrave property deteriorate in absolute squalor and made the future of the stores more difficult when they turned down the chance of having a National Lottery terminal! I was organising the conveyance of Redgrave Stores and the Old Post Office Cottage for tax efficiency.
This by meeting Louis Drake of Spar to agree a promising budget and the water board inspector, the electrician and Keith Warnes the builder all about separating the cottage from the shop. I had several hectic negotiations with contractors in Diss for a bathroom for the shop flat.
I found the Redgrave Parish Chairman, Cllr Roger Gwyn and his wife very supportive of my plans and there was another hectic day for Redgrave Stores but I still had to secure approval from Bury St Edmunds magistrates court for granting our Protection Order to me to trade in alcohol. I contracted former employee, Sarah Francis, to join us as manager and she and her parents were keen for her to move in.
My trip to Broubster with Wiggly came at a cost with my dog Sam injuring his foot but was enjoyed. Back home, he did well in training and field trials, learning all the while. I visited my forest of Broubster at Caithness to discuss management issues and enjoyed a break therewith Wiggly, meeting up with her sister in Newcastle on the way back.
Meeting up with Jim and Nigel to share relationship issues and for dog-training and shooting outings. Also not a lot of time for training Sam and he was sent to kennels for our time away. Nigel's shooting incident was the subject of TV news broadcasts with his subsequent arrest being an issue I had to help with. Both him and my friend Jim were going through relationship issues and we enjoyed energetic walks with Sam Despite my busy and complicated life, I was trying to keep up with my friends and hobbies.
I spent the odd evening with Nigel, trying to play snooker whilst getting somewhat inconsistent relationship advice. I went across to see my friend Jim Bird who had made great strides in terms of finishing off his dog kennels and garage which he showed me with pride. I also resolved to spend more personal time with my dog Sam and do some training with him as he was getting into some bad habits.
Norwich City were struggling in the Premier League but I continued to support them. The worse sporting news of the month was of the Ireland vs England international football match at Lansdowne Road being abandoned after violence from a hard core of English thugs. Norwich City was losing form and doing badly.
I watched Norwich City play draw an exciting match with Manchester City and triumphed in the Premier League 3-0 against local rivals Ipswich Town. Also saw England beat Scotland to take the Calcutta Cup, the Grand Slam and the Five Nations Championship all in one go. as England were winning their international Rugby matches.
The Tory government was being hassled over teachers’ pay and struggling with NHS problems and their former allies were calling for changes to dogma as their anti-Europe sceptic members pulled them apart. This, as Labour won the South Wales by-election. Elsewhere, there were acute problems with the UK Prison's Service as one inmate died through lack of supervision and many more escape from Parkhurst with officer's morale at rock bottom.
A serious and deepening financial crisis developed as the City of London was hit by its oldest merchant bank, Barings, failing after losing £400m on foreign exchange dealings in Singapore. There was better news as Toyota, in Derby, announced plans to build another factory complex next door to its existing site for the Corolla car model.
However, the Government was in trouble again over their decision to delay the Nolan Report's implementation by setting up another committee. Tory leader John Major was now offering himself for re-election as his authority over the Conservative party was waning. Elsewhere, John Major met the Arab leader Yassa Arafat, and the US President Clinton welcomed the Sein Fein leader, Gerry Adams, for a St Patrick's Day reception.
The EEC President, Jaques Delors, introduces a draft directive to allow free passage of individuals between the fifteen member states but Britain will try to veto it. Back home, John Major had major problems on his hands over the European Common's vote and Tony Blair was hosting a breakfast at The Dorchester with many top businessmen to compete for support.
This as the pound sterling hit new lows and interest rate rises seem to be on the cards. More than 80% of local authorities have cut back in their provision of Social Services following government grant cuts
Major Parker-Bowles, husband of the Prince of Wales’s former mistress Camilla, has announced their plans for divorce after a two-year separation leading to speculation that Prince Charles will divorce Lady Diana and marry Camilla.
Russian forces take over the rebel Chechen town of Grozny after 10’s of thousands die on both sides. Twenty world leaders will attend the Polish commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Auschwitz. Talks between the PLO and Israel have led to hope that the present stand-off can be solved and a return to the peace process made.
The Canadian Navy has seized a Spanish trawler and found that most of the 350 tons of turbot on board were undersized. Elsewhere, US President Clinton was urging restraint after some politicians advocated revenge on Islamic militants fighting in the former Yugoslavia where Bosnian Serbs are still holding British United Nations peacekeeping troops captive as hostages to ward off further air-raids.
More of the UN Hostages are being released from Bosnia and the immediate crisis seems to be over for the moment.