There seemed little room for Chancellor John Major to manoeuvre in Tuesday's budget
There seemed little room for Chancellor John Major to manoeuvre in Tuesday's budget

The last full day working on the Heronshaw shed on a hot and sunny day; working first with Jack and then on my own. Tidying and packing afterwards for my journey home when I would have preferred to stay. Speculation about Chancellor John Major ahead of Tuesday's budget as Thatcher now criticises the "Green" movement 

I had decided that this was to be my last day at Horning. Another fine, warm - indeed hot - and sunny day. I had to break off work a few times to meet my new neighbours on both sides, who by now had come up to enjoy the weather for the weekend. I finished fabricating the lower shed sides and then, later, we had the thatched roof high enough to consider re-building it. First I had to prepare a foundation of paving stones bedded down on gravel carried from elsewhere on the plot and the whole had to be fairly level as judged by a spirit level which was a very difficult and physically-demanding job. With first Jack helping me, we first got one end on, then the other and were just preparing the base for the first side when he had to go. Then, I worked on my own in the afternoon, adding the other side and in the evening jacking up the shed ready to take the lower sections.

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Sadly, there was not time to finish the job, but the project was well on the way to fruition. I spent the last couple of hours clearing and tidying everything away outside, in the shed and then packing the tools and boxes into the Range Rover ready for a morning start. I had my normal evening telephone cycle, arranging to see Mum for breakfast in the morning. the weather was gorgeous again and I was very loath to leave Norfolk. The news this weekend reaches a climax in speculation about the intentions of Chancellor John Major ahead of Tuesday's budget. There seems little room for him to manoeuvre and the pigeons are coming home to roost. There seems a new threat to child benefit, which has been frozen in level for three years now. Prime Minister Thatcher is in trouble on all fronts and now for criticising the "Green" movement at which point her critics point out that her interest in environmental matters was short lived.