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Daniel opens his presents on beautiful, still, warm and sunny day and then I take Debbie to the Offord stables, supervise Daniel’s first driving lesson and took the old Reliant spare chassis apart on the drive. A late birthday visit from Chas and Chrisula before collecting Debbie and Amy from her riding and then taking a stroll around the Riverside area of Paxton on the warm evening. Boris Yeltsin wins 87% of the vote against the establishment’s Communist Party nominees, and the government causes controversy with a plan to use unqualified staff as trainee teachers in schools
Everybody was awake and up in their nightgowns etc. to watch Daniel open his birthday presents this morning. He was very pleased with the offerings and, although a teenager, enjoys the birthday ritual. It was a beautiful, still, warm and sunny day today and I decided to work outside for a change. First, I had to take Debbie to the Offord stables and, on the way back, I gave Daniel his first driving lesson. The rest of the morning, I took the old Reliant spare chassis apart on the drive. Diana’s brother Chas and sister-in-law Chrisula came by this morning, as they had forgotten Daniel’s birthday present and sought to make amends (although such an impromptu visit makes things worse). They brought a strange story of looking after a sister’s newly adopted baby on weekdays which practice calls into question the suitability of the adoption.
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Working inside on Michael Pope’s second leaflet and monitoring my carp instead of being outside on a nice sunny day and then liaising with Des Merrill about his campaign and receiving Mr O’Keeffe, the spares secretary of the Reliant Club here, collecting some wire wheels and things. I also had Percy Meyer and Michael Pope around at various times, helping with the leaflet copy. British motor racing driver Nigel Mansell in a Ferrari wins the first Grand Prix race of the season, USSR rebel Yeltsin is set to win a Moscow seat in the ‘new-style’ Soviet elections and a yacht (containing five members of the Kuwaiti Royal Family and for Britain’s) has been seized by the Iranian Navy en route from Bahrain to Kuwait in the Gulf Sea
This was a nice sunny day so I could have the lantern lights open in the conservatory. It would have been nice to work outside as well, but I had to produce Michael Pope’s second leaflet and do some other work. I was tired after the late bedtime and first tended my doves, ducks and Koi carp. The Ohgon Hariwake is still not right and I wonder whether he will recover. This morning I called Des Merrill to chase him on his second leaflet copy and to respond to a few of his queries. I had Mr O’Keeffe, the spares secretary of the Reliant Club here today, collecting some wire wheels that have been dropped off and also having a look at my Reliant.
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Clearing up in my office and conservatory on a milder Spring-like day and finishing work on a second election address before welcoming Graham Clifton and family for a look around The Hayling View and then taking them lunch at The Anchor. Di’s parents then arrive for tea after which I go out to distribute leaflets to our delivery helpers and then watch the funny TV programme, ‘Honky-Tonk Freeway’. Animal rights protestors have been found to have started the two Edinburgh laboratory fires, the Bishop of Durham casts doubt on the ‘fact’ of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and 3,000 Muslims in Dewsbury, Warwickshire, burn an effigy of Salman Rushdie.
It was a milder day today and spring may not be far away. I had a fair sleep and a breakfast of cereal before returning to my office for some political work. I first spent some time clearing up my office, which had papers everywhere, before I could start and then mopped the floor in the conservatory before our visitors arrived. I managed to start the layout for the second election brochure and just about finished it by midday, called Michael and Percy and made some more arrangements for the campaign. My friend Graham Clifton arrived rather late with his wife Rosie and twin four-year-old sons. I showed them around the house and then took them off to The Anchor in Tempsford for lunch.
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Chocolate Easter egg, a visit to Little Paxton woods and a family service at St James’s Church for the whole family this morning and then a trip to Cambridge this evening to update my Apple Mac for a faster version before resuming work on my election literature. News of my father calling next Tuesday after his Addenbrooke’s Hospital appointment and of President Bush going back on Reagans commitment to the Contras. High winds at Alton Towers strands 27 people on its cable car ride who had to be rescued with ropes and harnesses
I was tired again this morning, upon awakening but still got up for breakfast and have the meal with the family. After a round of ‘French Toast’ for me and cereal for the kids, we all had some Easter Egg. This tradition will lead to me putting on a lot of weight this weekend! This morning, we first went to Little Paxton Woods for its only open day in the year. I had recently tried to buy this wood but Oxford University Chest did not want to sell. The weather was very windy today, but it was more sheltered in the wood, if very muddy. We then hurried home and changed to go to St James’s Church in time for the family service at 10:30am. The church was full, but not crowded and it was a nice Good Friday service.
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