Some early morning administration after a restful night and then to collect Percy Meyer on the way to Huntingdon where we attended the planning appeal for the Eaton Meadow site. More work on our FOCUS newsletters and then off to brief the Southwest Cambs party on my HDC Council work. The House of Lords approved the plans for eye and ear test fees and the Chinese earthquake toll has risen to nearly 1000.
A better night’s sleep due to a 10:30pm bedtime. Was up and showered before Diana brought me morning tea and then read today’s paper and mail. Went through the press cuttings from the week’s local papers and then got ready in time to pick up Percy Meyer from Offord d’Arcy on the way to Huntingdon. Today, the appeal was due to be heard on the plan to build houses on the Eaton Meadows site and we had a good turnout of SLD and DOOM members to plead the case. This morning’s evidence was all in support of the plan. They had a QC to coordinate the pleas; and ‘experts’ on technical planning and landscaping issues try to win over the Appeal Inspector. Percy and I stayed until lunch and then left them to it.
This afternoon, I made some small corrections to the FOCUS copy, prepared envelopes for distribution and then made a number of phone calls and received from St Neots Weekly News and Frost & Co (who say that the conservatory construction will begin tomorrow). I contacted Rosa Young to arrange her visit next Friday to research Little Paxton’s manorial history and then did some pre-reading in preparation. After tea, I went off to Cambridge to brief the South-West Cambridgeshire Constituency Party on my work on the Huntingdonshire District Council. It was quite a good meeting, though the normal laxity of chairmanship prevailed. Home at 11pm and just in time for a Bournvita and to read a few TV teletext headlines before bed. The House of Lords approved the government’s plan for fees for eye and ear tests and the Chinese earthquake toll has risen to nearly 1000.