Up early on a sunny and bright day for a change and then time in St Neots, seeing my doctor, shopping and getting building society interest updates before treating Di to lunch. Then back to try out my new de-humidifier in the conservatory until I had to leave for a Buckden School Governors’ meeting to agree budgets and expenditure.
Thatcher’s problems with Cabinet colleagues continue and she fights colleagues over Europe and now her plans for privatising the electricity industry reveal 30,000 job losses, mass mine closure and electricity bills raised by 15%.
I had another very sound night’s sleep and then I was up quite early as a result. At breakfast, I forwent my croissants and had wheat flakes instead. Just an hour or so of work at my desk before it was time to see Dr Wright in St Neots about my leg. He examined it and agreed to arrange a small operation with the nurse for next Monday to remove the irritating mole and send it off for histology. I had coffee with Di and then we both spent the rest of the morning shopping. My cycle of visits to the building societies revealed that their top rates were going up from next Wednesday, November 1st which is good for me but bad for borrowers.
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I was pleased to see my posters in Martin McColls advertising the book as a Christmas gift. I treated Diana to lunch at the Bridge Restaurant and then picked up a new dehumidifier from Curry’s and came home to install it in the conservatory. The plan was to keep the humidity and the even more control with the skylights closed to save energy. We can use the new unit without noise during the day. Soon it was time to leave for Buckden School and the budgetary meeting of the Governors. This school is fortunate in having over £12,000 spare to spend on improvements, which we approved this afternoon. I spent more time monitoring my conservatory and then this evening on many paperwork aspects until bedtime. I had calls today from WH Smith of Huntingdon who wanted more books and from Michael Pope to discuss arrangements and progress in the Eaton Socon Town Council by-election.
The news today is still of the political problems of Mrs Thatcher’s government. Senior cabinet colleagues are kicking over the traces and trying to hold her to European commitments and to joining the EMS. A respite in The City as Sterling and shares hold firm, but this may be the lull before the storm. One storm that has broken is the one over the electricity industry. A secret cabinet document has been leaked that shows that up to 30,000 people may be put out of work and up to 1/3 of Britain’s deep mines may have to be closed and electricity bills raised by 15%. Today’s weather was sunny and bright, which was nice.