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A slow start after a late night on a sunny day following a frosty morning and a visit to St Neots with Di to do some shopping and select a painting for Nigel’s birthday and then we took this over to Hail Weston House with some cards and attached two ‘40 today’ streamers to the gate posts! Then back to St Neots to let Dr McKay operate on my leg, cutting out the mole, before going with Di to see Mum and Dad at Weald House where mum behaved rather badly in front of her grandchildren (Jane and John) and neighbour Fred who had been visiting. Derek Giles canvassing went better today, and his morale is high again. Due to the escalation of the ambulanceman’s dispute, police and army ambulances are brought in.
A better night but a late bedtime than planned due to me watching a rather exciting televised boxing match. I was therefore slow to get up and actually ate breakfast in my dressing gown. I then got dressed and on a sunny, still and mild day after a frosty night, drove to St Neots with Di to do some shopping and select a painting for Nigel’s birthday. It was a nice watercolour of naked bathing lady. We took this over to Hail Weston House with some cards and attached two ‘40 today’ streamers to the gate posts! Then back to St Neots to let Dr McKay operate on my leg. He cut out the mole after injecting me with anaesthetic and it is now been sent off for histology (or analysis).
We came back for a salad lunch and then, this afternoon, I went with Di to see Mum and Dad at Weald House. Mum had got herself into a state over the place and behaved rather badly, criticising the nursing home, us and Dad in front of her grandchildren (Jane and John) and neighbour Fred who had been visiting as well today. We sat through all this and I managed to cheer her up and the visits went reasonably well, but I made a mental note to reprimand her when next we are alone.
This evening, I did some paperwork and worked to help Derek Giles campaign. His canvassing went better today, and his morale is high again. The news today is of the escalation of the ambulanceman’s dispute. They would only take emergency calls only, attracting a pay deduction response from management and this will lead to police and army ambulances being brought in. Today the police and firemen supported the ambulanceman in speaking out about the injustice they are being subjected to. The authorities in East and West Germany are concerned about the exodus from the East.
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Guy Fawkes night - a fine enough day for me to get a rather reluctant Daniel to help me and we winched out the Little Lady and the sports boat, putting both on their trolleys for the winter. I returned the call to Derek Giles who was upset about struggling in the rain yesterday afternoon canvassing without much success, but I laid out his second leaflet and took it round to show him.
Ex-Chancellor, Nigel Lawson today explained why he resigned not being able to suffer Thatcher’s economic adviser Prof Alan Waters anymore. The East German government have announced foreign travel relaxations through Czechoslovakia
It was a fine enough day to contemplate laying up the boats for the winter. I got a rather reluctant Daniel to help me and we winched out the Little Lady and the sports boat, putting both on their trolleys for the winter. We were quite shattered by the effort of manhandling the boats around, but Daniel still had to clean the Range Rover afterwards and he was not too happy about that. I returned the call to Derek Giles who was upset about yesterday afternoon. After the mornings canvassing with me that went well, he had a very discouraging time. Nobody turned up to help him, the rain fell and had quite a poor response from a politically, unsympathetic area. I helped him photocopy some letters to potential helpers so they could let them know our predicament and then later I laid out his second leaflet and took it round to show him for his comments.
In the afternoon, I had a break and watched a TV programme on the legal background to the ‘Birmingham Six’ appeal and then a football match. The news today was of a TV interview with ex-Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, who explains why he resigned. It was simply a matter of not being able to suffer Prof Alan Waters any more as an interfering economic adviser and he had given Thatcher’s an ultimatum at the end of the year for her adviser to go. This completely blows Thatcher’s cover and she cannot now say that she ‘did not know’ why he resigned. Elsewhere, the East German government have announced relaxations in the rules governing foreign travel for its citizens. They can now leave through Czechoslovakia without restriction.
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Nigel’s fireworks - On a showery day with some sun, after preparing some election materials, the first day of canvassing in Eaton Socon with Derek Giles, gaining support and showing him the ropes so that he could continue by himself afterwards.
With Di and the girls to see Dad and Mum this afternoon and to find Dad’s sister, Ivy, and her family there as his face is also further swollen on that side and he seems so weak, but Mum was much recovered from her back problems.
This evening to Hail Weston House as a family for a firework party with Nigel Smith and his family. Mrs Thatcher saying that she might step down after the next election, thousands more East Germans flee to the West great typhoons in Thailand with more than 200 missing at sea from 20 missing vessels.
Today was the start of the canvassing campaign for Derek Giles. I got up a little late at the same time as the family after a better night and had a breakfast of French toast before Daniel left for school. I got my box of past election material down from the loft and made up some canvassing instructions and window bills for Derek Giles. I was glad that I went over to help in this morning because I was the only one that did – with all the others calling in sick. I showed Derek the ropes and got him off to a good start for a couple of hours.
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My 43rd birthday - after a strangely unsettled night, I slept better after troubling Diana for sex in the early morning and then went down to breakfast for my birthday wishes but my cards and presents had to wait until late. I worked at the St Neots Museum launch project all day, producing press information, VIP invitations, and copy for a brochure and subscription form. To the Huntingdon cinema this evening where Di and I enjoyed the British film, ‘Wendy Valentine’.
Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Brooke, is discussing the possibility of having negotiations with Sinn Fein, further migrants from East Germany can now leave for the West and the management have threatened London ambulanceman with pay cuts
I was strangely unsettled last night worrying, most probably, about Dad but the poor temperature and ventilation control of the room may have had something to do with it. I was still awake at 3 to 4 o’clock-ish in the morning before I rolled over and troubled Di for sex and then slept in a satisfied way thereafter. I went down to breakfast where all wished me ‘Happy Birthday’ but I had no cards or presents until teatime. I worked at the St Neots Museum launch project all day and produced another round of press information to encourage the newspapers, TV and radio to come. Then a revamp of the press information kit with the new copies to the Chairman and the Mayor of St Neots, who has agreed to officiate at our launch. After lunch I drafted, typed and printed out the individual letters of invitation to 20 or so influential people and dignitaries who we are inviting specially. Then the new copy of brochure and subscription form to a committee member who will kindly get 1,000 of each printed for the big day.
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