Debbie and Della in front row for watching the puppet show at Little Paxton School Fete this day
Debbie and Della in front row for watching the puppet show at Little Paxton School Fete this day

Shifting earth this morning, taking the family to lunch and then on to Little Paxton School Fete when we were joined by Mum and Dad Fred and Grace Broad. Thatcher shuffles her cabinet to demote and expel her more moderate colleagues and her Queen’s Birthday Honours list includes its bevy of senior awards for Tory industrialists and supporters of the Thatcher cause, who are helping the privatisation programme. The Liberal vice-leader, Alan Beith, calls for a merger of the Liberal and SDP Parties

Slept well enough and was awoken groggily due to my hangover from lack of sleep the other night. Sat in bed for a long while, drinking my tea and letting Daniella play in bed with me. She is quite a cheery person first thing, but a bit demanding. Then a shower & shave before dressing for breakfast. Ate wheat flakes, milk and fruit juice. Cleaned my teeth and then quickly out to the riverside to do some more earth shifting. Worked all morning at this tiring exercise, letting Di take the girls shopping to St Neots and pick up Daniel from his school bus. Changed and then locked & alarmed the house and took the family to the local Little Chef for lunch. After, we went to Little Paxton School for the annual Fete, which had many stalls, pony & steam engine rides and bands and folk dancers for entertainment. At the end of the programme, Debbie and her school friends did some dancing and it was a joy to watch.

Today was my Mother’s birthday and she & Dad were to try to get over. They arrived just in time to see Debbie dance and were very pleased to see her. All back home for a cup of tea and then we watched the video recording of our marriage, whilst Di made us some tea. After the meal, I took Mum & Dad around the gardens, whilst Di bathed the two girls. We took Mum some of the way in the wheel chair and walked the rest. She has become much more mobile and is blessedly free of pain. Then Mum and Dad read the girls some storybooks (Dad with Della and Mum with Debbie), before they were put to bed and our visitors made ready to leave. Time only tonight to write my journal and listen to the news. At least today stayed fine (which was fortunate) for the school fete, but it was rather overcast. Had two political conversations today (with a plot neighbour and my Dad). Was quite shocked by the popular appeal of the Tories and the way in which their cause is promulgated by the right-wing press. The supporting statements trotted out were almost verbatim the items pushed by the editorials. Today sees Thatcher’s new appointments and changes to her Cabinet. Her beloved Cecil Parkinson comes in from the cold to take the Cabinet job of Energy Secretary, pushing moderate Peter Walker into the job of Welsh Secretary. Lord Young becomes Trade and Industry Secretary, John Biffen the conciliatory Commons Leader is dismissed for his ‘individual’ ideas. Her opponents are generally demoted and followers promoted, with John Major (the local MP) becoming Chief Secretary to the Treasure. Lord Hailsham, the eccentric and ageing Lord Chancellor is retired and the Attorney General, now made Baron Lord Havers, takes over from him. Not many other changes, which is a good thing for continuity, particularly in view of the backlog of half-finished Bills abandoned due to the election. God knows how many DTI ministers Thatcher has had, which shows her lack of understanding of this important aspect. The Queen’s Birthday Honours list contains its regular content of junior awards for worthy public servants, personalities and achievers and also its bevy of senior awards for Tory industrialists and supporters of the Thatcher cause, who are helping the privatisation programme. Norman Tebbit has quit the Cabinet ‘for family reasons’, though he had also differed with Thatcher on the conduct of the election campaign and must have found little consolation for being her faithful Lieutenant. Not much chance of succeeding her now. Neil Kinnock comes out of the campaign still fighting his corner for Labour. The Liberal vice-leader, Alan Beith, calls for a merger of the Liberal and SDP Parties, saying that ‘we have tried to live together, but voters prefer the respectability of a marriage’.