Starting the day by checking on Daniel’s homework and learning that he was volunteering in the Oxfam shop today. Starting files for my District Council business, hosting a photocopier repair engineer and then taking Debbie horse-riding with her friend Amy joining us to watch. This evening attending a Southoe parish council meeting where the chairman had failed to turn up! Roy Jenkins leads a House of Lords rebellion over academic freedom in universities, latest Belfast explosion was from a gas leak and unemployment in Britain has dropped below 2 ½ million for the first time
Awoke early this morning and was showered and shaved well before breakfast for once. I walked across to see Daniel and checked what schoolwork he had done last night and he seems to be diligent at the moment. He was allowed to stay home from school today, being a CCF parade day (the volunteer cadet school activity). He went along to Oxfam in St Neots this afternoon, as usual, and did his voluntary work, which is in lieu. I did some more reading this morning and then emptied a filing trolley full of security alarm equipment and put filing folders in there to take my Council work. Lunch with the family. I also made final arrangements for a Cambs Constabulary visit in June and also wrote a few more letters on Council business. Carried on in this vein this afternoon and took a few more phone calls. The photocopier repair engineer called, but could not fix it and had to take it away.
After tea, I took Debbie horse riding again, with her friend Amy in tow to watch. Then this evening, I rushed off to the Southoe Parish meeting and sat through a charming, if not rather informal affair, where the Chairman had unaccountably failed to turn up or send his apologies, even though he was standing for re-election!! The news tonight is of a defeat for the government in the House of Lords over academic tenure in the universities. Roy Jenkins lead the revolt and the voting was 152 to 126. In the latest quirk of fate there has been an explosion in Belfast injuring twelve people, but this time the authorities say that gas was at fault, not terrorism. Unemployment in Britain has dropped below 2 ½ million for the first time, but borrowing has escalated and the markets are moving downwards on the one day expectation of higher interest rates. The first Test Match vs the West Indies was today, but I saw little of it until seeing the recorded TV highlights tonight. England won!