The election campaign being under control, and the flag boards having been checked and still standing, I spent time with Daniella and took her to Playschool where she took an election rosette as today’s colour was Yellow! More canvassing this evening and to hear of the anger at the orchard next to St James Church being approved for development against the village’s wishes. Thatcher’s Commons majority shrank as 38 Tories vote against the Poll Tax
Awoke quite early and shaved and dressed, leaving my shower for later. Opted to go out early to tour the villages and check on my local election flag boards and found them all still successfully planted and on display. Back for breakfast with the others and chose Rice Krispies for a change from my normal wheat flakes, as my body weight is down to 13st 2lbs with all of the legwork I have been doing. After this I had the task of looking after Daniella, as Diana took Daniel and Debbie to the Kimbolton School uniform shop. New shoes for Daniel (size 12!) and the newer summery uniform for Debbie (and, of course, a new tassel for Debbie's beret that had gradually disappeared). I took Amy, Katherine (the Law’s children) to the local school and had Daniella with me as well and she enjoyed rushing around with the school children. Then the walk on to the village hall for the playschool. I let Della play on the swings for a while, before it was time to go in, and then took her along, paid £2 (£1 each day for her two sessions this week), ticked the rota for Di’s availability for ‘reserve Mum’ on Thursday, and settled Della down to cutting out things from mail order catalogues, which is one of the activities there. Each day they have to take something of a certain colour to put on the ‘colour table’. Today’s colour was yellow and I got her to take along one of my election rosettes!!
Chatted to a few mums and then was about to start my canvassing, when I was called over to Boardman Close and heard a sad tale of the development of the orchard adjacent to the churchyard to have a bungalow built. This had been opposed by 150 signatures on a petition, including the former Vicar, Canon Whitlock, and was approved by the Secretary of State after the Parish and District Councils had turned it down. Even then, the original designs had been expanded and guidelines ignored, with the whole exercise seeming to be a conspiracy of interest between the Tory Council and its financial supporters. Then I got home to collect the car and canvassed until lunchtime. After lunch this afternoon, Michael Pope came to help, and again this evening. We re-canvassed many of the former ‘outs’ along Gordon Road and other key routes. We are nearing the end of our first complete canvass and concentrating on those people that we missed first time round. Quite tired and late tonight turned in, but did not have time to write up this journal, which had to be done the following day. The main news today was of a Tory back bench rebellion over the Poll Tax. 38 Tory MPs, including 2 tellers, voted against the government and reduced its majority to 25, which was a close call, as only a dozen more needed to change their minds. Another significant international story is of the US sinking an Iranian gunboat and destroying two Iranian oil rigs, after they claimed that they were laying mines again. Later tonight the rain came down and had a good effect in watering in my lawn treatment