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The builders arrived this morning to knock through the lounge wall into the conservatory and provide a new opening and fit the piping and soak away so that the ditch could be filled in. Diana was kept busy with the girls’ ballet lessons and Debbie’s orchestra and Daniel was a problem as he was rejecting his new leather briefcase is not being ‘cool’. More work on my history book today before I heard the shocking news of a chemical spell in Priory Park, St Neots with the neighbourhood being evacuated. The state opening of Parliament has accompanied by the announcement of a series of controversial and extreme measures by Thatcher’s government including ID cards for football supporters.
A rather restless night with the weather cold and a bit unsettling. Needed all of my willpower to get up, showered and shaved and, even then, I was 15 minutes late for breakfast. After this, I awaited the arrival of the builders and took the opportunity of laying my sheets of plywood carefully over the underfloor heating pipes of the conservatory which are still exposed and vulnerable. I had just finished when the three men arrived. Discuss the rest of the job with them and then left them to remove the lounge window and knock out the bricks below form an opening into the conservatory. By the end of the day, I had done this and inserted new bricks to form a neat edge and also finished off the soak away and piping so as to be able to fill in the hole and trench that we have had to suffer this last three weeks. Diana was rushing here and there again, after the girls with their ballet lessons and orchestra for Debbie.
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Concerned how my FOCUS deliverers would manage on a very cold and frosty morning, I dealt with a few council queries and then spent much of the day on my history book computer files, designing my contents and preliminary pages. Off to an HDC planning committee meeting in Huntingdon this evening gleaning information that will help colleagues with their own FOCUS newsletters. The Tories are easing regulations for building dwellings on farms (which will suit their agricultural councillors) and the owners of Buckden Marina are getting away with evading planning laws.
A children’s school day and everyone up and dressed and in good time for breakfast. I was expecting the builders and electrician to arrive today but there was no sign of him all day. Pete was here, raking leaves on a cold and frosty morning with some snowflakes still hanging on. The weather had stayed very chilly and I wonder how certain of my FOCUS deliverers will cope, particularly the old ones or those with small children. Had a call from HDC officers today, trying to get me to withdraw my ‘St Neots Sports Hall’ item from the Southern Consultative Agenda. Must have got them worried! I cleared a few council and odd queries out of the way and then spent time on my history book computer files, structuring the Preliminary Pages and setting the format for the Book Proper.
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Defying the snow and sleet, I wrapped up and delivered the rest of my Southoe leaflets and then return home to welcome political colleague,Tricia from Spaldwick, who had come to write her own FOCUS newsletter. I then left her working to deliver the remainder of my leaflets to Diddington as the sun now shun strongly. Daniel’s teachers were quite pleased with him at this evening’s school parents’ event as another parent embarrassed herself with an undignified fall. An IRA bomb damages a Belfast army base, the government refuses arbitration in the nurse’s pay dispute and there are rumours that the death of Mrs Onassis was by suicide. Thatcher is being pressed for action on environmental issues.
The dawn broke to a day of snow and sleet after we had taken a lay in. I got up, showered and shaved early as there was lots to do today. A nice fried breakfast then, at 9 o’clock, I wrapped up against the cold went off in the Range Rover to deliver the rest of the Southoe outliers. I cut a very lively dash to be seen out delivering newsletters in person in such inclement conditions! I came home at 10 o’clock to meet Tricia from Spaldwick and got her started on the Apple Mac with her first Huntingdon newsletter. Left after a while and went off to deliver the remainder of my leaflets to Diddington. By this time, the snow had melted and a strong sun was quite warm. Home in time for lunch and then I spent an hour or two with Tricia getting her newsletter finished and the results were quite good. ** PRESS "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
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I spent much of the day organising the delivery of my focus newsletters to Little Paxton, Southoe and Diddington but breaking off for lunch with the family and taking the girls to the Fair on the common. This evening formatting my history book and returning some calls. The Queen is advised not to go to Russia for security reasons, Christina Onassis dies young at 37 from a heart attack and the Royal Ulster Constabulary are being cut back
Slept well and woke early and so showered and shaved so that my morning tea arrived as I was dressing. A cursory look at the newspaper and then out with my FOCUS edition five copies for distribution to my deliveries. Loaded up the car and then travelled and chatted my way between them until they were all gone except round 4. Then home to pick up this set and, on foot, I walked around Paxton and delivered all of this batch too. Diana was out shopping at first and then delivering round 1. Quite a tiring and cold experience but I got there in the end. I wanted to go on to Diddington and had to look after the girls who had grown tired of Diana’s round. Soon time to go to St Neots and collect Daniel for lunch which we had at our regular Saturday venue of the St Neots Bridge Hotel.