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The builders arrived today to start the foundations for the new conservatory and we spent much of the time directing the disposal of the spoil to suitable places within the property. This evening, I was attending a Huntingdon District Council Economic Development Committee meeting, where my proposal for The District Council to take over the Little Paxton Riverside Science Park did not find favour. A difficult visit for Diana from Chrisula as she had to turn down a silly babysitting request. Olympic sprint champion Ben Johnson is disqualified for taking steroids and the SLD conference agrees a controversial party name change to the Democrats
A better night for me after which I quickly got ready for breakfast. I read the morning mail and newspaper and was then ready to see the builders when they arrived to start on the excavations for our new conservatory. The builders were there at 8:30am with a mini mechanical excavator of the sort that I used for my games lawn drainage. They had some trouble this morning getting the digger in line next to the hedge and then getting down low enough to expose the house foundations. In the meanwhile, I had briefed Pete to receive the spoil in two halves – one for the topsoil which is spread over the new verges next to the games lawn, and another for subsoil for building up the foundations for an enlarged summerhouse. In fact, this subsoil was almost pure ballast – gravel and sand – as we are situated on the gravel beds in Paxton. I eventually left this distraction to continue preparing for my meeting cycles this week. One of the meetings was this evening – Economic Development – where I hammered away trying to get support for a proposal for the council to take over the Little Paxton Riverside Science Park site where the developers are now trying to get permission for housing instead.
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After making the breakfasts with mixed appreciation, I spent some time in the garages wiping the cars on another damp day and even a short break in the weather on the games lawn hollows before Parish Councillor Paul Ambrose visited on Parish business. More work tonight preparing my plans and comments for the Economic Development Committee tomorrow. An armed raid on a nightclub near Ilford was followed by a Police chase, another UDR man is shot and Paddy Ashdown was well received for his first speech to the SLD conference as party leader. Not much more success for Britain in the Olympics as the Russians and East Germans are way ahead
I was the one to get up and make the drinks this morning, as Diana remains determined to make this practice a tradition! Just had time to shower and shave before my Sunday fried breakfast, which was the same as usual except Di said ‘she could not find a tomato’: I have a lot to put up! I went out to wash the Range Rover this morning but found the fine rain falling and, as it was not too dirty anyway, I just wiped the windows in the garage. I then polished the Rolls-Royce in its garage which is a job I have not done for a while, though I did just give it a shampoo last week. Lunch intervened and so did Paul Ambrose from the Parish Council who came round to discuss the School Lane flats planning application how to get action on the village’s footpaths and roads.
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More work inside on a drizzly day, completing my Council data diskette copies and then working on the Offords & Buckden FOCUS’s when Pat and Percy Meyer arrived, but some time still to rake in the top dressing on the Games Lawn. Lunch with the family at the St Neots Bridge Hotel when Daniel returned from school and then an afternoon and evening on my Press Cuttings. the Welsh miners rejecting Coal Board’s plans for a six-day working week, the SLD conference goes well with jobs shared and the sad recovery of the body of the Ocean Odyssey radio operator, Timothy Williams, who had been unnecessarily ordered back on to the rig.
A little earlier to bed, but not very much, and I then slept very soundly until after Di had a lay-in this morning. Today continued a drizzly day, which meant not much could be done outside but at least I could get on with the backlog of paperwork without being too distracted. Later to breakfast and Daniel had already left for school, leaving behind a sheaf of notes that Di was quite horrified to read it seemed that he had been bored in private study (having already done his work at home) and, being told off for not doing anything, he then wrote reams of disgusting comments in quite foul language which shocked us both. There was a brief dry spell this morning and I went out to feed the ducks and doves and so I got out the rake and continue to rake in the top dressing which is still quite thick with the dips in the lawn our deepest. Started to read the papers and mail and then settled down to sort out all my Council work on diskette files so that I could have one full disc of important information to send off for copying onto a different media. Percy and Pat Meyer dropped by without warning and so I set down to review his newsletter with him whilst Pat looked at my Doomsday Book facsimile which quite fascinated her.
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A late night and morning, on a windy and showery day, but breakfast together before I settled down to correspondence and then my own salmon salad lunch before Di arrived back from Bedford and I could take the Range Rove on business to Huntingdon. More work on the other ward FOCUS newsletters before hearing of the latest air display crash killing two pilots and downing their Phantoms during practice. The ‘Ocean Odyssey’ rig is freed from the flaming well and stories emerge of the bravery of the radio operator who stayed behind and perished. Another IRA bomb attack on Ulster Police
Late to bed again and slept very soundly so that I did not want to wake up at 7am. Breakfast together and then Di went off to Bedford as I first read the morning mail and papers and then settled down to write some more Ward letters and other correspondence, which took me until lunchtime. Pete was out there clearing another shrub bed and preparing for the building excavations next Monday. Lunch made by myself of salmon salad and then Di returned and I could use the Range Rover to go off to Huntingdon to deliver my council mail and also my latest letter of reply to the Hunts Post. A Tory councillor lady is attacking me, and I think I presented the perfect counter this afternoon. I worked on the two items that had been promised for the Offords & Buckden newsletters and then, this evening, I delivered them to Percy and collected the remaining delivery sheets from my Paxton helpers.