Saddam Hussein announced that all of the foreign hostages would be allowed to leave Iraq and Kuwait with immediate effect but it seems to late to avoid a war
Saddam Hussein announced that all of the foreign hostages would be allowed to leave Iraq and Kuwait with immediate effect but it seems to late to avoid a war

Another busy day as I host a meeting with the new party parliamentary candidate for our constituency and a local activist about the future of Thurleigh airport, then spent the afternoon on a host of calls and action with Southoe bus schedules a particular concern and then a much better evening Little Paxton Parish Council Meeting agreeing an ambitious budget for next year and an enjoyable seasonal gathering afterwards.

Saddam Hussein announced that all of the foreign hostages would be allowed to leave Iraq and Kuwait with immediate effect but there are many signs locally here in East Anglia of servicemen and regiments having been sent with overflying aircraft in desert colours so a war seems imminent. The weather continues cold with a very sharp frost this morning, but rain is forecast for tomorrow.

Although home, my rush had not finished as I had to get out early to take back the cement mixer and then get back in time for a meeting in my office at 10.00am. I lit the log fire which was nice on such a cold morning and first Sue Sutton arrived and then Mike Seward later. Sue is the new party parliamentary candidate for our constituency and I had arranged for her to meet Mike, an activist from Little Paxton, on the subject of Thurleigh. The government are selling off certain of their military airports for commercial freight use and this is going to add to the noise and disturbance over the St Neots area in general and Paxton in particular.

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This meeting went on until nearly lunchtime before they left and then I spent the afternoon returning lots of telephone calls and trying to prioritise the heap of mail and matters outstanding for action which have accumulated in the short time that I was away. The Southoe bus users are up in arms over the changes to the schedules, leaving without any way of getting home to the village in the afternoon. This took until tea after which I wrote up these last few days journal and then quickly changed and set off for the Little Paxton Parish Council Meeting. It was a good meeting with the Council agreeing quite an ambitious budget for next year and then there was a seasonal gathering afterwards at the Chairman's house for drinks and mince pies. Quite a busy day really.

Surprising news is of Saddam Hussein announcing that all of the foreign hostages would be allowed to leave Iraq and Kuwait with immediate effect. Perhaps the sanctions and US resolutions are beginning to work after all, but the move somewhat wrong-foots the British and Americans who were preparing their forces and citizens for war. There are many signs locally here in East Anglia of servicemen and regiments having been sent: Families with sons going away or having already left; pubs empty of the service personnel; overflying aircraft in desert colours. The view is that all this would not have been done if we were not serious about it but I still hope for wiser councils to prevail. The weather continues cold with a very sharp frost this morning, but rain is forecast for tomorrow.