Horse Charge during the Trafalgar Square Poll Tax riot
Horse Charge during the Trafalgar Square Poll Tax riot

I tended the conservatory plants and fish on another splendidly sunny and warm day before being collected by Pat and Percy Meyer to go canvassing in Offord and then Great Paxton. Back for tea in the lounge as we watched a pretty scary film with Della this evening before several phone calls with party colleagues organising the local elections.

News of a full-blown Poll Tax riot in Trafalgar Square as a well-attended peaceful demonstration then deteriorated into a violent protest with buildings and cars burnt, shops looted, and hundreds injured in a running battle between police and protesters. Thatcher is still protesting very loudly that there are no vacancies for the Tory leadership at the moment and is very much under pressure from all sides.       

Diana had a long lay in this morning and I got up on my own and boiled the kettle. It was another splendidly sunny and warm day and I had arranged to help Percy with canvassing the High Street areas of Offord Cluny and Great Paxton; but first I could spend a little time at home. I tended the conservatory, feeding the fish and watering the plants etc. The seedlings have germinated quite well, and we are rapidly catching up for the lateness of our sewing them. The greenflies still prevail, and I am still experimenting by introducing ladybirds to see if they will contain the infestation as I do not want to use chemicals with the fish there.

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I was just settling at my computer to catch up on these past days' journal when Pat and Percy arrived to give me a lift to Offord for the canvassing. We were soon starting to knock on doors there but found that the leaflets had not yet been delivered in that section and so went into Great Paxton instead. There we got quite a good reaction but found many people out shopping, out for the weekend or in the back gardens and not answering the door. Those that we met were mostly very anti-conservative, being disillusioned with high interest rates and the poll tax. The Meyers had offered me lunch which I accepted in the interests of getting back out to the hustings again. I was in some trepidation over this as, for some reason, they keep their house in a poor state of hygiene, never cleaning any shelves, toilets or other surfaces which is quite disgusting. I was very relieved to see the care that they took over the food and plates etc, however, and hope that I do not get a tummy upset. We carried on canvassing in much the same vein this afternoon but still found quite a few people out. The weather was just a bit too good for canvassing as it had persuaded people to go out. By 4.00pm, we were quite tired and called it a day and Percy dropped me off home where I had to sit in the lounge for an hour or two to regain strength.

I have been exerting myself quite a lot lately, but at least I am fitter as a result and my weight is now down to 13st 11lbs which is back on target. We had tea in the lounge as we watched a pretty scary film with Della and then, this evening, I worked in my office.  I was writing my journal and on the telephone with my Liberal Democrat colleagues planning the campaign. Was tired enough to go to bed at 10.00pm and broke off my work but then Daniel did not get in until 11.30pm and so I stayed up to see him back safely.

Tonight, the political argument fell second place to a full-blown riot in Trafalgar Square as a well-attended peaceful demonstration then deteriorated into a violent protest with buildings and cars burnt, shops looted and hundreds injured in a running battle between police and protesters. There has been a battle of wills between socialist democrats who just want political protests to ensure that the Tories to get their just deserts at the ballot box on the one hand; and those who want revolution and aggression on the other to bring the government down by violent revenge.  Thatcher is still protesting very loudly that there are no vacancies for the Tory leadership at the moment and is very much under pressure from all sides. A bad result in the May Local Government Elections could see her fighting for her position at this autumn's conferences.