Some worry concerning Di’s tummy aches following her night-time indigestion and further pain when shopping later. A furious representation today from Peter Thornhill the Lord of Diddington Manor who felt that my public criticism of his gravel pit plans was unfair, though he conceded its accuracy. The trip today via Willington garden centre to collect my Rolls-Royce after yet more delays and then some upset with Daniel over his lack of money and need to do more chores as a result and he also ignored the voluptuous Claire visiting our pool in her new costume. My invitation to the HDC Housing committee meeting this evening, where my proposals for cutting grass for elderly and infirm tenants were hastily agreed to prevent me getting the credit. The UK postal strike now affects two thirds of the mail and it became apparent at this evening’s meeting that the government’s council housing policy would lead to near extinction of council housing by 1990
I slept well and awoke to my morning tea on another fine morning. Poor Diana had indigestion during the night and had to sleep in the spare room. We worry that she has a stomach ulcer and will have to get it looked at soon. I made a few phone calls in my office and the main event was a day was of the exchanged messages and phone calls with Peter Thornhill of Diddington. He was furious with me over my public criticism of his representations to have the Diddington gravel fields opened up. He had taken it personally was unaware of the plans map and its effects on Diddington and the extinct village of Boughton and thought that I’d made unfair assumptions which shed him in a poor light. In the end, he admitted that the map would give rise to our conclusions but claimed it was not of his authorship. Found out that the Rolls-Royce was ready and so took Di and the girls over this morning to pick it up. We went via the Willington Garden Centre and ended up staying there a couple of hours in the nice weather, with the girls playing in the adjacent playground. I bought five box plants to fill holes in my riverside garden hedge, and a large wooden rake ready for my forthcoming season of top dressing.
We had a nice coffee in the sunshine before going on to Alec Norman. After I was dropped off, I had to wait an hour to get my bill and car. It seemed that the manager had taken it home to lunch to ‘test it was okay’! It runs well after its service, but the air-conditioning is not very effective though it does actually seem to work. Di was as late getting the week shopping from St Neots and had her stomach ache upon returning home. After lunch, I went into town myself and got a haircut in the market square. I had to wait another hour for this – in the last week, everyone has insisted on keeping me waiting which was something of a trial. I also filled up Daniel’s boat fuel tanks as he had cleaned the Range Rover this morning. He had been upset at not being able to go to Cambridge with his friends but had to do the swimming pool clean as well. He had spent all his money on fruit machines during his holiday against Di’s advice and had to earn some more. He then cleared out his boat and stayed in it despite Claire Brown and two friends coming to swim. At 15, Claire is well developed in the upper half of this new swimming costume now bears the legend ‘Handle with Care’. Amy and Catherine opposite were away on a day trip today which was a shame, but Emma and Holly did come round. The family of hedgehogs in our back garden now seem to have left the nest and struck out on their own. This evening, I drove over to Huntingdon and sat in on the housing committee of the District Council. I was there by invitation as my grass cutting motion included an item on old people’s gardens being tended. The chairman had quickly put in a proposal to do this for old and infirm council tenants and the non-Tories there thought that it been done to avoid me getting the credit for the decision. In fact, I was pleased that it was agreed and can get my kudos on other issues. I was not called to speak but can still come next time to propose the bulk of the measures. Home at 9:30 PM and watched a long but interesting film that Diana wanted to see. Late to bed as a result. The floods are still causing havoc in Asia and North Africa. The postal strike now affects over two thirds of the mail as the confrontation has built up. At the housing committee meeting this evening, the full impact could be seen of central government’s restrictions on the expenditure on new council homes which, together with their sale of existing houses, would lead to the near end of municipal housing by 1990 if there is not a change of heart. The current fine weather is good for the next day or two at least.