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A sunny, warm but blustery day with the good news of Peter Wilmer agreeing to stand as our County Council candidate before my first meeting of Council this afternoon where I was photographed with others and then on to see Mike Pope to plan County Council elections this evening. Tory HDC councillors are pilloried for accepting a paid visit to Paris, as I pressed them on their public car parking ban. Another large national trade deficit will lead to yet higher interest rates, athletes are supporting stricter drug bans, the police get an 8 ½ % wage rise as Thatcher keeps them sweet and the Commons Energy Committee criticises the government’s plans for ‘privatising’ the electricity industry.
Slept well and laid in a little, until awoken by Di with my morning tea. Only had time to get showered and shaved before breakfast and so I joined Daniel in his dressing gown, as I matched his attire for the meal. Then to my office, where telephone calls dominated my morning. I heard from Peter Wilmer of Great Staughton this morning, who had been persuaded to accept my suggestion that he stand as SLD candidate in the forthcoming County Council Election, and he wanted to meet me over the next week or two. I had to share this good news with Mike Pope and so I called him, and he popped round and we discussed both this and a proposal modification to local gravel extraction plans at the same time. Little time when I had finished to type out a letter to the County, objecting to the plans and even less to prepare for my first meeting of full Council in the afternoon. I just got together my comments of the past, made a few notes before lunch. A salad lunch and fruit dessert – I have put on a few pounds since the start of my holiday – and then changed and off to Pathfinder House for my meeting. First, we had a collective photograph of the Council Members outside for the ‘rogues gallery’.
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The trip to Cambridge on a showery day with the girls today and on to my manor at Chilford to visit the Zoo before home to find a sad and distressed Marilyn waiting for us. This evening a Little Paxton planning meeting to carry on encouraging them to write a village plan. News of a huge drug-ring bust, more fighting in the Middle East with towns taken by the Iranians and details emerge of the break up for ideological reasons of the DHSS as Thatcher tries to drown out the controversy over her European Commissioners sackings
I slept well enough, but the night was chilly for Diana again. Took a little while to get my eyes accustomed to the light and then read yesterday’s newspaper, whilst sipping my morning tea. On hearing that Di had planned to take the girls out for the day, I decided to join them and so got showered, shaved in time for breakfast. It was a bright and sunny morning, if a bit cool, and we tried to get Daniel to come with us, but he wanted to stay at home. All off in the Range Rover, arriving early in Cambridge by 30 mins in the Eaden Lilley coffee place, where we eventually met Di’s parents for a chat and drink.
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Struggling to make progress on my work today after a sound night’s sleep but I did work my way through a backlog of messages and calls and acted accordingly. Also, some time on my financial affairs before spending the evening at a Priory Doom meeting. The Tories now want to split up the DHSS, runs into controversy for replacing the EU Commissioners, wants to privatise the Remand Centres and have cancelled the HOTEL space research programme.
I slept very well and very soundly, but Diana said the bedroom was too cold and kept her awake. I am afraid that we can never get it just right to suit us both and, whilst I am glad to be back in my bed, she was more comfortable in the boat! A rather slow start to the day, but we then had the first of our duck eggs boiled for breakfast. A struggle to get ready for the meal and then a chore to get going on my office work. No paper this morning and so I first finished writing yesterday’s journal, before using the telephone to progress several arrangements. I managed to get the insurance company to agree to finance repairs on my Rolls Royce, and the garage to progress the repairs accordingly. Returned many more of the ‘holiday’ telephone messages and called Mike Pope to compare notes and progress. Beyond this, I answered and attended to several letters and bills, before lunch called.
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Our first day back in our own bed and catching up on stowing equipment and belongings, attending to household chores and sifting through papers or press cuttings and news. Ulster Judge – Justice Higgins – was the real target for the IRA car bombing that killed the Hanna family, Iraq is saying it will withdraw from recent territorial gains as soon as negotiations are completed, and the Glenochil Prison dispute is still out of control
Slept well enough and was pleased to be back in my own bed. Awoke with a headache that was to persist all day, despite me taking tablets. As the Range Rover was still clean from before our holiday, I just sat in bed and read yesterday’s FT weekend supplement, about investment and the economy. It seems that the economic clouds are gathering again, with last week seeing a 500 pt+ drop of the Nikkei average – Japan’s largest fall since January. Once up, I went out and continued the task of laying up The Lady, bringing all manner of equipment, instruments, tools and fishing tackle ashore and stowing the items remaining more carefully. I also retrieved my new bowls set from the hold and tried them out on my games lawn, which I found very uneven. Got out the ladder and trained my wisteria onto the trellis and looked round for evidence of moles but found none.