My Dad Fred and long term ambulance partner Harry outside Southend General Hospital
My Dad Fred and long term ambulance partner Harry outside Southend General Hospital

My Dad’s last birthday - Della is daily helping me feed the conservatory fish and watered the plants. Today I produced a new draft for the St Neots Museum fundraising form before and took it over to agree some details with David Rudd, the St Neots Museum chairman. I also discussed my parents tax and benefit position with Roger and will act on his advice. Their DHSS claim total of £445 should pay for their nursing home fees. When visiting Dad today, on his birthday, it was great to see that he had been visited by his old ambulance colleague, Derek.

A poor Little Paxton Parish Council meeting this evening and then poorer news about Jaguar being taken over by Ford after the government removed the company’s defence from takeover. The pound and shares are falling again as government intervention on the foreign exchange markets has depressed our gold reserves by a record monthly amount. The ambulance beans pay rise is being restricted to 6½%, well behind that of the rail women and fireman, let alone inflation

I had a little more sleep last night, but it was not enough. I fed the fish and watered the plants with Della who is a regular little sport each day, now by helping to look after the conservatory. I then worked on the computer and produced a new draft of the St Neots Museum fundraising form before it’s time to go and see Roger Brittain, my accountant. I discussed my parents position with Roger, and he concurred with my idea that Dad should change his will in view of the social security rules which would penalise mum’s savings. I also found out that there are no longer any tax allowances for people looking after dependent or disabled relatives, which is a shame.

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After this, I went to see David Rudd, St Neots Museum chairman, and resolved a number of matters regarding the launch. Home for lunch and then we went earlier than usual by prior arrangement to see Dad on his birthday. He had been visited by his old ambulance colleague, Derek, who had delayed his lunch and the poor chap was still struggling with his meal one small mouthful of the time. I got mum to take us around the nursing home in an electric wheelchair and we met Mr and Mrs Issett. The news of the DHSS claim is that Dad will get his money made up by income support to £235 plus £10.05p ‘pocket money’ and mum £190 plus £10.05p pocket money. This total of £445 should pay for their nursing home fees, just leaving their house to pay for.

Home again and day little time to do a few things before tea and this evening’s Parish Council meeting. This was a poor affair with very little discussed. The idea for a bottle bank site is now the A1 layby and the parish are to approach the county council for permission. The grant for the village hall will be only £800-odd rather than the £1,250 requested, but at least I managed to secure that for them after my HDC Tory colleagues tried to oppose it. An earlier night to bed with Di.

The news is of Jaguar Cars agreeing to a £1.6 billion bid from the Ford motor company. Their export sales have been made unprofitable by the government’s exchange rate policy and the golden share surrender has removed the company’s defence from takeover. This amounted to a  comprehensive job by the government to abandon the company to its fate! The pound and shares were falling again as government intervention on the foreign exchange markets depressed our gold reserves by a record monthly amount. Rail fares are to rise by 9%, firemen are to get an 8.6% rise but the poor ambulanceman are not to be offered more than their 6½% and will fall further behind. The engineers are also to escalate their strike for shorter hours.