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After a poor unseasonably mild night, when still preoccupied with the School Lane planning decision, I relaxed with breakfast and time in the conservatory before further work on my history book. A break to take Diana to St Neots for the Clayton’s closing-down sale and then on to Sandy before collecting Debbie and taking her horse-riding where she was jumping multiple fences. An evening making a good contribution to the Environmental Services Committee Meeting of the District Council, and then home to news of the latest IRA bomb-making discoveries and of the sectarian shooting of three men in Ulster. The government insists that the British Rail Channel Tunnel link will go underground but will not provide any money, Prince Charles calls for compulsory CFC reductions and Prince Philip criticises intensive farming
A very poor night. The day being unseasonably mild, and the heating still on, meant that our bedroom was too warm for most of it. Also, my mind was still full of the Planning Meeting and decision to go ahead with flats in School Lane, Little Paxton. To breakfast and then the conservatory where the fish continue to improve. Then this morning working on my history. Also went into St Neots with Diana to look at the Clayton’s sale. They are closing down after 75 years which is a crying shame. We had coffee and then went off to Sandy where Di went to her sister-in-law to deliver our folding cot and I went to Avenue Fisheries to pay for an ammonia test kit and to look at the carp.
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After a better night’s sleep, I felt much rested and sat in the conservatory feeding my fish and sorting out the morning mail before getting down to my ‘institutions’ chapter despite being interrupted by three visitors, who I still helped. I finished this chapter before tea and I was scheduled to go to a planning meeting and Diana to a meeting of the Brownies, when Daniel failed to catch the school bus home and spoiled our arrangements. I still went ahead with my planning meeting and said my piece on the School Lane flat development but could only get three councillors supporting my view and so the matter was overruled. News of yet another train crash with two dead and 52 more hurt, blamed again on lack of investment, as the East West arms talks open in Geneva today
I had decided to retire early to bed last night and then slept soundly until woken at 7am this morning and I felt much rested as a result. I was up and ready for breakfast and afterwards to sit in the conservatory and feed my fish while sorting out the morning mail which was quite a relaxing experience. I got straight down to work on my ‘institution’s’ chapter of my Little Paxton book, but I was soon interrupted by a total of three visits from Percy Meyer, Charles Frost and a lady from Priory who wanted to use my photocopier to organise some petitions against the dog fouling nuisances. I had another visit from Doug Young with whom I worked out some artwork for the Parish Council Newsletter as I had promised to do. I managed to work for the rest of the afternoon and then finished off my chapter just before tea. I was due to attend a planning meeting this evening and Diana a meeting of the Brownies at the school. We were upset to find, therefore, that Daniel did not come home on the school bus and poses a problem as we had no way of picking up him from school. I had to attend this planning meeting and sat through a number of highly controversial planning applications which quite filled the Council chamber with members of the public. I had to wait until about 9 PM to speak my peace in a rather warm atmosphere. I did not make a particularly good job of it but the committee were intent on approving the School Lane flat development regardless. Still three members voted against which was something. About half a dozen little Paxton residents were there and was bitterly disappointed as I was.
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After some worrying symptoms of bodily strain, I had some time away from my desk this morning feeding and watching my fish before working on my ‘Village Institutions and Events’ book chapter and then taking Diana for her Mother’s Day lunch, where the service was agonisingly slow. The rest of the day working until late hearing about a Great Gransden election opportunity and of the suspicion of the train driver ignoring a red light for yesterday’s crash; but union leaders are blaming the Thatcher government for reducing manning levels.
There was a strange and worrying thing this morning. Diana had spotted a patch of blood in my underpants and I think my kidneys or bladder is under strain from me being hunched up at my desk so much. I fed the fish several times today and they seem okay; Harry a swimming with the others most of the time but does rest more often. I did some work on my chapter this morning, sorting out all of the material and then later I completed the scanning and resumed editing. It was Mother’s Day and Debbie and I had forgotten but Daniel and Della remembered. Di had arranged lunch at a French restaurant and we all sat there for 1 PM. Unfortunately, the service was deathly slow and we left after two hours without putting because Della had a party to go to at 3 PM.
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The day started with me releasing the Hariwake Ohgon Koi carp into the main pond, which was quite an involved process, and then I was busy with several phone calls on planning matters and governorship of Buckden School. After a couple of hours resting to watch England beat France in the rugby union international, I spent the rest of the day completing my Little Paxton Cricket Bat chapter. News today of another train crash, this one in Purley, Surrey, with six dead and dozens injured brings this government’s level of investment and safety record into close question as they lose ground on several opinion polls on public services
Today was another day destined for urgent work on my history book. It started a little late, but I made breakfast all right and then the fish intervened as I decided that ‘Harry’ (the Hariwake Ohgon Koi carp) was fit enough to be released into the pond. This meant that I had to constantly dilute his tank to get the water temperatures near-equal so that the transfer would be as painless as possible. What with work on the pool and that of clearing away the tank in equipment, it was mid-morning before I could get down to anything else. There were phone calls today on a range of subjects which also kept me busy I spoke to Pre Newbon (vice-chairman of HDC planning) about the School Lane, Little Paxton, application but I think there is little chance of carrying the day. Also to Helen Ramply about the governorship of Buckden School.
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