Flush from the success of killing my first mole, I was buying others and then taking and making calls on council business, with grass-cutting and dog-fouling high on the list, which Michael Pope and I then featured on our post-election FOCUS leaflet which John Mathhewman prints for us. A visit to Nigel and Lynne chance to play with my god-children Ashley and Late and a chat with them about their factory/warehouse extension there. At the Reagan/Gorbachev Moscow Summit They signed the previously agreed INF agreement but no agreement on long range weapons yet. Paddy Ashdown and Alan Beith have declared themselves candidates for the new SLD Party leadership election
Slept well enough, despite a slightly late bedtime yesterday, and then made breakfast later than the others – wheat flakes as normal. Out to tend my ducks and doves and I found my calliper-type mole trap sprung and my first victim within it – which was a rewarding outcome for my first effort. As Diana was going shopping anyway, I briefed her on getting a second mole trap from Jordon & Addington’s Garden Centre and giving them the good news of my success. Back to the office, where I scanned the paper and then made a couple of telephone calls to make appointments with Samuel Jones and then the Estates Officer of HDC. Sometime after to continue my local history writings and my task was to read the Riversfield House Clerk of Works records and update my chapter with details of the building works. Soon lunch and, before that, a chance to go out and set my second mole trap in high expectation of success. This afternoon I got a telephone call from a lady (Chairman of the Mums and Tots Club) and was able to brief her about the possibility of measures to deal with dog fouling. Worked on until 2.00pm when Mike Pope arrived, and we went through the copy for our newsletter together and traded suggestions. It should be quite good! We carried on talking until after 3.30pm, when I had to go and see Cllr Martin Mawer about the Parish Council’s role in cutting the local grassed areas and what he felt about the District Council’s performance in only cutting the grass every 18 days.
Back late for tea and no news yet on my mole traps, as the moles seem to have taken fright, or just become less active. I decided to mow the games lawn this evening, as the day had been dry, and finished it off quite well. Took a couple of ‘weed-grass’ samples in afterwards and identified them as common meadow grass (that had self-seeded in the bare patches) and couch grass that is supposed to die away after the first season, due to not standing up to the mower. This games lawn is going to be a long time in reaching the standard that I seek. Just returning to my desk when Nigel Smith phoned and invited me over and I was glad to go. First, I had to make a few phone calls and deal with a few matters, including the printing arrangements for the FOCUS newsletter. It seems that mental problems with our party volunteer is a big problem, but John Matthewman has stepped into the breach. Then off to see Nigel and I stayed longer than I intended. I played with Ashley and Kate for quite a while, who were pleased to see their Godfather. We went out to see two tawny owl chicks in one of the trees in Hail Weston House gardens. Then a drink with Nigel and chance to chat with him and Lynne about their plans and my council activities. It seems that they have got the Planning Officer’s agreement to build a 6000 sq ft factory/warehouse extension there. He also showed me the cuttings and plants that he has been cultivating for when my conservatory is eventually ready to be stocked. Home quite late and then to bed with a mind rather too active to sleep, as it turned out. The news tonight was of the results of the Reagan/Gorbachev Moscow Summit. They signed the previously agreed INF agreement, but it seems that there can be no agreement on long range weapons until the new presidential term. A disastrous German coal mine explosion with a dozen miners dead and more injured. Now both Paddy Ashdown and Alan Beith have declared themselves candidates for the new SLD Party leadership election and the campaign will last a month.