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With me ill with Influenza Daniel helped me clear up and then drove us home from Heronshaw. We arrived home too late for lunch but then I was not very hungry and just wanted to go to bed. I had declined again by the evening and was snuggled down all shivery and pathetic again.
The news today was all about the recession being deeper and due to last longer than was planned. I have the horrible feeling that John Major has not the experience nor the wit to know what damage he is inflicting on the British economy.
As the night progressed, I was becoming ever more certain that we would not be able to work on today. Those sleepers could only be just moved with us at full strength and, with me very weak and Daniel having trouble with his arms, it was going to be hopeless to continue. To cap it all, my watch stopped early this morning and so I just lay there and waited for Daniel to wake up. By the delay, he realised what was wrong and so made me a cup of tea and brought a tray of breakfast to try and rouse me but it was useless. I was shivering and weak and no good to anyone. It took me an hour and a half to get washed and dressed and Daniel was also good enough to do my chore of going aboard the Paxton Princess and running up the engines and equipment to ensure that everything was all right.
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Leaving early with Daniel for the journey to Horning where we unloaded and had a drink of hot chocolate to warm us up as it was another very chilly day. Then we moved the long sleepers, a few inches at a time, after which we put the damp-proof course in place and bedded in the first seven of the sleepers in mortar, which made a third of the total.
The evening resting and bathing after which I visited John Gedge, the local farmer, to pay him £40 for his help and bought a takeaway or our dinner. Very tired from the day's activity, but also declining fast with a bout of influenza, I was shivering and cramped and so went to bed early.
I had tried hard to persuade Daniel to be ready to set off early this morning and, despite his horror at the idea, and, to his credit, he was up quite early and ready for breakfast. I got showered and shaved and we loaded the Range Rover so as to be ready to leave at 8.45am which was quite good. It was a quite normal journey to Horning that started in heavy traffic but became bearable, and so we arrived a couple of hours later. Daniel was complaining about my driving habits on the way; and in particular by the way in which I tended not to slow down in traffic, but to weave my way through it. In truth, I did have to abort an overtaking manoeuvre and brake sharply at one point!
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Some shopping for Diana and a haircut for me in St Neots this morning whilst also buying Di her portable modern HiFi/compact disc player for her birthday present from A & N Audio. I went on afterwards went on afterwards to Southoe and Diddington to deliver FOCUS to the outlying houses and then stayed this afternoon to work on my speech.
I spoke third in the evening at the Commemoration Hall, mainly to Labour supporters, be-rating the Poll Tax and then seeking to present the most coherent alternative proposals with which to replace both the Poll Tax and the Uniform Business Rate. The Liberal Democrat proposals being for a Local Income Tax and a Land Value Tax. My throat and chest were becoming quite sore by the end of the evening.
Diana was wanting to do some shopping at some time and so I decided to take her this morning to St Neots as I was also in some need of a haircut for my public appearance tonight. Me to the barbers, Di to her supermarket; and then we met up to buy her Christmas present which was to be a portable modern HiFi with a compact disc player built in. This we bought from A & N Audio, taking their advice as usual and getting a Panasonic model. We also bought a tool kit for Daniel and so did well in our shopping. I dropped Di off at home to unpack and prepare the lunch and went on afterwards to Southoe and Diddington to deliver FOCUS to the outlying houses. It was quite bitter and cold today and so uncomfortable weather in which to be out. I was short twenty leaflets or so for Diddington and will have to return to do them when I get the spare leaflets returned from the other rounds. This afternoon, I stayed in and worked on my speech which was barely finished before tea but I was very pleased with the result. I felt my cough coming back on this afternoon and regretted going out in the cold so much these last two days.
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A well-deserved lay-in this morning left me feeling groggy but more rested in time for a family Sunday breakfast with Daniel, who is in constant contact with Angela. Della was recovering and Debbie a lot better but now Di was deteriorating.
A session for me clearing the gutters before a fine roast beef lunch and then I put up our Christmas lights and cleared more leaves from the lawn until dusk. Then to prepare my speech for tomorrow against the Poll Tax.
Diana left me to have quite a lay in this morning and, although it gave me a bit of a headache, I was very much rested as a result. After my cup of tea, I got up and dressed quite quickly and managed to wash my hair before breakfast. It was a nice fried breakfast, and all of the family were at the table to enjoy it. Daniel has had five cards from his girlfriend, Angela, and sent nearly as many and he had a telephone call from her today as well! They seem well smitten and I hope that it does not end in tears. Della has quite recovered apart from her cough and even Debbie seems to be a lot better and smiling again between her coughing and sneezing fits. I thought she could have gone to the Christmas Show at Staughton today, but both she and Di thought otherwise and they were probably right. Now Diana is starting to show some symptoms of this terrible cold as well and is a bit depressed about it.
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