A morning creating press releases and then the afternoon fielding press telephone calls but also hearing sad news of our cleaner Jone’s father dying as she sits by his bedside. This evening attending the HDC Leisure and Amenity committee meeting about the designation of Paxton Pits as a nature reserve where they welcomed my interest and made me their representative on the St Neots Museum Society committee. French stock-market scandal mounts and one with Barlow-Clowes PLC as the UK stock exchange reaches post-October highs but poor news of British soccer hooligans rampaging around Düsseldorf on the eve of their match versus Holland
A sound night’s sleep, after which I drank my morning tea and still had plenty of time to get washed and dressed for breakfast. A nice warm and sunny day today as we sent the children off to school – both for examinations. I spent this morning writing up press releases on the conclusions of the Economic Development Committee – publicising the scheme to exclude the public from Pathfinder House car park and give notice to the tenants of Castle Hill House. Soon time for lunch. Diana opted to stay in this area today. With Joan by her father’s bedside, who is dying, there was more space and chores to do at home and so Diana did not go to Cambridge today. This afternoon I did a lot more correspondence and even had a call from the HCN Express about my newsletter press release, which was rewarding, as I think they will be printing something on it. After tea I fed the birds and then got changed to race off to the Leisure & Amenities Committee meeting.
I was just in attendance, not being a member, but I had the Chairman’s agreement to speak to Item 8 on the agenda – Designation of Paxton Pits as a nature reserve – as the Ward Member concerned. I spoke in favour of it, but pointed out the advantages of consultation and access for all other informal leisure interests, as the complex is big enough to provide space for each of them. I was also appointed the official District Council Representative for the Leisure & Amenities Committee on the St Neots Museum Society Committee. Quite a friendly meeting tonight and I spoke to several of the members afterwards – unlike a few of the characters on the Economic Development Committee, who seem to resent intrusions into their domain. News today is of the UK stock exchange reaching new post-October highs, but also of financial scandals on the French Bourse and with Barlow-Clowes PLC. In the first case, 1/3rd of the Bource reserve fund has been lost by unauthorised trading; and in the second, £100 million + of investor’s funds that should have been used for Gilt investments has been loaned out and lost due to poor supervision by the DTI! Meanwhile, British soccer hooligans are rampaging around Dusseldorf on the eve of tomorrow’s crucial European Nations match vs Holland; breaking windows, fighting and exhibiting drunken behaviour.