The morning at my desk, hatching up a Little Paxton village development plan and dealing with more calls in Council business, failing to get LG Jones to come and attend to my boat heate problem, hosting a visit from my river-bank man, Mr Larkin, and then two Koi experts from Avenue Fisheries about my new Koi pool. This evening attending a frustrating HND Planning Committee Meeting and then home to my journal again. Thatcher trues to defend the US airliner attack as Ayatollah Khomeini declares an all-out war, rain stops the Test Cricket and Wimbledon tennis after Edberg beat Becker in the man’s singles final and the interest base rate was hiked up another ½ % to 9% fuelling fears of a property crash as the stock market drifts lower too.
Awoken at 7.00am with my morning tea and I thought, in starting to shower and shave at 7.15, that I would be ready by 7.30, but I was 10 mins late for breakfast. Had a large bowl of the new style wheat flakes from Jordans, which may be healthy, but are hard going and a bit tasteless without the added malt. This morning, I worked away at my desk after reading up on today’s newspaper. Then the rest of the time to lunch, composing a letter to the Parish Council Planning Chairman, advocating an exercise to create a local village plan, to give some defence against adverse planning decisions at District level and an appeal. Lunch of salad and the rest of the ham left over from yesterday and then more correspondence and phone calls on Council business. I also tried to get L H Jones to attend here to repair my boat heater, but they are very busy at the moment and so I do not know what will happen. Later, Mr Larkin – the engineer who did my river bank protection – turned up and came to see me after doing a quotation for Cliff Roberts of Mill House.
I was able to show him what I had done on my drainage sump and he thought that it was very good and advised me on making a cover for it. He also thanked me for referring the business to him. Soon tea time and then a visit from the two Koi carp experts from Avenue Fisheries, Sandy, who listened to me as a detailed the arrangements for my conservatory pool and will be advising me accordingly. Off quickly to Huntingdon for the Planning Committee Meeting, where I stayed until 10.00pm, but they still seemed to have an hour’s business still to go and so I had to leave them. I joined a Huntingdon SLD constituency man who was interested in District Council business, which I found heartening. Worst decision of the evening was the approval of a St Ives site for industrial use, even though it was right next to a sewage farm. Cllr Derek Holley, Tory leader and St Ives businessman, led the onslaught unchallenged by the Chair and against the officer’s advice on Public Health grounds. Home late, but, finding Di up, I stayed up to write my journal. News today is of the ramifications of the US downing of the Iranian airliner. Thatcher’s transparent message of regret and support for the US position lead the supporters and itself lead to condemnation from the Iranians. Ayatollah Khomeini has declared an all-out war. Edberg beat Becker in the man’s singles final, when the rain stopped, and I have to admit watching some of the match. The rain interruption of play in the test cricket match is favouring England, who were 60 for 3 in their second innings at close of play and still a couple of hundred runs behind. The interest base rate was hiked up another ½ % to 9% today and there is more to go, fuelling concerns that the house prices boom will come to an end. The stock market has also drifted lower.