Despite still suffering from my bad cough and chest, I managed more Gardening, and meeting Peter Thornhill Esq of Diddington Estate after the narrow vote in favour of his gravel plans. I declined lunch and resumed gardening until collecting my Range Rover from Sawtry after a major service.
After the DTI blunders the future of Ridley is under distinct threat, England Football Manager, Bobby Robson, has been forced to announce his retirement the tabloid press unearthed details of a love affair and today the armada of Dunkirk little ships retraced their voyage of fifty years ago.
I was not feeling very well today, and my bad cough and chest was getting me down. All the family were suffering from the problem and Diana telephoned the Doctor to bring Debbie's Tuesday appointment forward to this afternoon. She was given an asthma spray which seemed to help her to breathe more easily. I got washed and dressed this morning and was the last one to get to the breakfast table. Daniel took Debbie off to school and she was told that she could not go horse-riding tonight. I then got down to planting out certain of my bedding plants. I was not keen in view of my chest, but it had to be done. I started by putting out the hanging baskets. Next were some bedding Geraniums which I clustered together in places that could be easily seen and then some Asters which I put in a long row by the Hayling Footpath, watering them in well as the weather is so dry. I came into my office with Di for some morning coffee and then made a host of telephone calls to try to chase people up. It seems that you can never rely upon anyone to do what they say they are going to do, and they must be chased all the while.
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Then I got changed and drove off in the Rolls Royce to my meeting with Peter Thornhill. He took me on a tour of his Diddington estate which was quite an eye opener. We saw the open fields and the woodlands which is managed for game as well as forestry. He maintains a gamekeeper and a well-stocked pheasant shoot solely for his own pleasure and recreation which is quite amazing. Then onto the riverside gravel workings and the fields that are proposed for gravel working. I had to reveal to him the result of the County Committee votes on Monday where his land was approved for addition to the mineral plan by the Chairman's casting vote after a three-all split. I could only sue for terms that would provide the maximum community benefit and try to convince him that we should be lobbying for a new road access for Diddington. I was home in time for lunch, having declined an invitation from him as I did not want to be compromised. This afternoon, I resumed my gardening and first thinned out the shrubbery in the back garden so as to be able to plant a lot of lettuce seedlings. I then had to clear all the resulting cut vegetation and then plant the rest of the lettuces by the river for the doves to eat.
Then, before tea, we heard that the Range Rover was ready. It had undergone a major service with new plugs and an engine tune. Two new tyres and most of a new exhaust system had to be fitted as well and the bill came to nearly £800. At least the car seems to run well now but the exhaust still does not sound right. I took the whole family up to Sawtry to collect the car and then to a restaurant on the way back for tea. Debbie seems a lot better after her treatment and was quite full of herself. This evening, I finished planting out the remainder of the first half of my plants and cleared up the conservatory. Now all the plants are within the reach of Di to water whilst I am away. I was quite tired with my chest and endeavours and, after watching the news and writing up my journal, I got to bed quite early anticipating a quick start in the morning.
The news is of the DTI blunders and the future of Ridley is under distinct threat. The Labour party release details of their new policies which are to form the basis of their election manifesto and could get them elected to power. England Football Manager, Bobby Robson, has been forced to announce his retirement from the job on completion of his World Cup campaign after a vendetta from the tabloid press unearthed details of a love affair. Today the armada of small ships retraced their voyage of fifty years ago when they rescued vast numbers of servicemen from the beaches of Dunkirk.