A busy day meeting people about my Little Paxton history project and getting the older ladies together at The Old Post Office. More death and recriminations in Northern Ireland and a late TUC agreement for bringing Ford Electronics to Dundee might be too late but a compromise has been agreed at Land Rover to end their 7 week strike
A busy day out and about meeting people, but it started a little later than these last few days, as I slept in a little. Still had plenty of time to shower, wash my hair and dress before breakfast. After my cereal, I spent a little time in my office opening the mail and writing out some paying-in slips for the children’s investment accounts and then it was time to visit Edie Smith. Edie is an old village resident that came to Little Paxton in 1917 at the age of 9 and has lived here ever since. Her name was originally Smith, she was ‘sort of’ adopted by Harry Richardson Smith of the Old Post Office and then married a Harold Smith later – 3 Smiths and never had to change her name! Poor old thing, she never gets out and so I picked up Ivy Bunnage and Vera Ruff and we all got together there. Learnt a good few things more as we chatted for a couple of hours before it was time to go, but at least we managed to persuade her to come and meet Ian and Wendy Thorpe this afternoon.
I dropped off Ivy and then went to have a reassuring chat with Vera Ruff, who was worried about our planned visit to the Little Paxton Friendship Club in a week or two’s time. I reassured her that I would be doing all the talking and that she only had to sit there and be introduced. Home for a salad lunch and for once the children joined us, as they broke up from school today. Then, this afternoon, I was getting ready to go on our second trip when I thought I would telephone round and see how the election printing was going. I found John Matthewman at Glisson Road actually printing my leaflets and arranged for them to be delivered to Moira Biggins for transport here. Then the daunting task of getting the three old ladies over to the Old Post Office, but, before I could go, the phone rang and Mr Jeeves, the Little Paxton School Headmaster, telephoned me with a query about a Mr Michael Rhys Parker, writing from South Africa, seeking evidence that he was at Paxton Park School from 1927-1929. After a short while I realised he meant the Christian Science School, not, as Mr Jeeves thought, the old Village School and told him so. He then realised why nothing had turned up from searches of record offices! Off then to collect the ladies and a right job we had getting Edie and Ivy up into the Range Rover, but we did it. All of to the Old Post Office, where Ian and Wendy Thorpe made them welcome and we chatted about the history of the old building. We looked around the house and barns and after this I took the old ladies on a drive round the village, for old time’s sake, before dropping them off safely. Home to phone Moira Biggins and find the literature safe with her and then tea and to tend the ducks afterwards. Wrote up this journal before setting off for the election meeting tonight, as I thought it would be quite a good and late meeting. The news is full of Northern Ireland – more deaths and recriminations. The TUC has agreed a one-union policy for the new Ford Electronics factory in Dundee, but it may be too late for the management to accept. Land Rover management and unions have reached a compromise to end their 7 week strike as well.