I spent the morning in Cambridge with Diana on another hot day doing the rounds of bookshops and library contacts to promote sales of my new book and meeting Di’s parents for morning coffee before calling in at the large Cambridge garden centre to seek tropical plants for my conservatory. Later, to take Debbie to the stables to ride on Sundance and to prepare more book publicity for tomorrow. Thatcher and Gorbachev are in conflict over diplomatic expulsions, as she continues to upset the teaching profession and suffers tube strikes in London.
This was yet another hot day and this time the sun came out early and the temperature was soon in the 80sdegF. I decided to join Diana on a trip to Cambridge and prepared my publicity deliveries accordingly for the city and details of the bookshop publicity already sent out. The air conditioning of the Range Rover was a godsend today, particularly as I was dressed in sports jacket and trousers with shirt and tie for effect. We had coffee in Eden Lily’s coffee shop with Diana’s parents and then I did a round of bookshops and spoke to the buyers. An outright rejection from WHSmith, reluctance from Dylan and then an encouraging acceptance from Heffers, whose buyer ordered 18 to begin with. I also spoke to the local history librarian in Cambridge Central library who admired the book and promised to recommend copies for the lending library. I also delivered all manner of copies of publicity to other key contacts in the schools and library services in Cambridge. We stopped off at the large Cambridge garden centre on the way back via the M11. I bought one rather exotic plant and the girl assistant will be able to tell me on Friday if they can get me anymore tropical plants for the conservatory.
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Once home, I tried relaxing in the sultry heat as a thunderstorm developed but there was a series of telephone calls from journalists and booksellers that distracted me instead. Now I have agreements from Little Paxton post office, United News shops – St Neots, WHSmith – Huntingdon and Heffers– Cambridge which is a very good start of coverage. Diana and I retired to our bedroom in the heat and took our clothes off for privacy. Eventually Della disturbed this by hammering on the door and then I had a swim and took Debbie to the stables to ride on Sundance. This evening, I got Di to help me package up the rest of the mailshot to schools and libraries ready for distribution tomorrow. The news today is of the mounting diplomatic crisis between Britain and Russia as Thatcher and Gorbachev face each other out over expulsions. Thatcher is in conflict with the teaching profession again as the Association of Headmasters said stress is putting able candidates off of the job. Tube strikes in London caused traffic chaos on a hot day and tempers are frayed.