The eventual publication of the 1985 Manchester air crash report
The eventual publication of the 1985 Manchester air crash report

A busy day, making contact with the printers for their latest price and delivery quotations for the book and completing the illustration list. Also Working on Percy Meyer’s first election address for next Monday’s deadline and winning a battle for retaining a vital restrictive covenant for local residents as I heard that Desmond Merrill will stand in Gransden for us. The eventual publication of the 1985 Manchester air crash report, the examination of Ulster Unionist police officers for a shoot to kill attack, a Tory MPs use of a prostitute as assistant and South African President Botha refuses to stand down after a heart attack

I had a sound night’s sleep but still felt groggy this morning as if I had got jetlag. I was soon down to breakfast with only Della the company and then got into the conservatory to feed the fish. I still have doubts over the condition of the Ohgon, but its behaviour is very active. My first office job today was to telephone the three shortlisted printers and ask for their updated price and delivery quotations for my book. Two came back to me and it seems that I can have it done by the end of April; and, at a pinch, by April the 20th, the day of the Parish AGM. The price is not too bad either. Next, the election literature again, starting with Percy Meyer’s first election address which I managed to complete by the end of the morning. I also arranged that I would bypass the main bottleneck for getting our artwork to the printers (John Mathewman is going to the US for a week) and so my copy dates are now next Monday, which is a relief. This afternoon, I worked on the Illustration List for my book and just about completed it before it was time to go to this evening’s District Council meeting.

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It was an Economic Development Committee and one controversial item was the proposal to remove a restrictive covenant on a lease against the wishes of a host of residents. I tried to get the committee to consider this item in the public part of the meeting so that the people who had come could hear the debate, but they refused. I then won the argument, however, and they supported my motion to reject the move with only the Tory Group Leader and Mayor of St Ives voting the other way. I rushed home and phoned the people to tell them the good news and they returned a host of other calls. One of them was from the parents of a 17-year-old youth held in police custody several days without bail in what appears to be a minor public order charge. I heard today that Desmond Merrill will stand for us in the Gransden District Council election which is great news that could well get me a colleague on the council. The news today is of the results of the enquiry into the 1985 Manchester air crash. Such delay in reporting is disgraceful, but they have made 31 recommendations including the provision of smoke hoods and automatic water sprinklers. Six Ulster police officers are being examined on disciplinary charges that they were involved in a ‘Shoot to Kill’ attack on unarmed suspects. A police constable from outside the province is heading the investigation. There is a growing political row in the House of Commons as a Tory MPs research assistant is found to be a high-class call girl! South African Pres both is refusing to stand down after a heart attack and, even his own party wants to see him go, but he will not.