- Details
The day that Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister after 11 years after which Douglas Hurd and John Major announced their candidature so that there are now three candidates including Michael Heseltine for the second ballot.
It started for me with writing and delivering my consultant’s report on ONSITE which was bad news for the executives. Then some time sweeping leaves before a late arrival of Percy and Pat Meyer for Focus work interrupted my dinner after which I had a good Parish meeting which approved my Village Hall finance plans.
A remarkable day in every respect but it started calmly enough as I was not aware of the decisions that the prime minister had made overnight. I was up very early indeed and, after making myself a pot of tea, I settled down in my office to write my consultant’s report on ONSITE based on the recent events there. I tried to be constructive and positive whilst not shirking the need to tell the James's exactly where they stood. The report took a couple of hours to write and I had it finished in time for Diana to take it round to Grove House by 9.00am. Then out to the garden to resume the task of sweeping up the leaves and I did this for a while and came in to have my morning coffee.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
- Details
After another session clearing the garden leaves whilst deep in thought, I chaired an ONSITE board meeting held against the background of two successive months' under-performance of plan that has led to the virtual elimination of the working capital of the company and I had to say that I felt unable to put in the planned loan because the company was approaching insolvency. Then the Diddington Parish meeting, which was a bit of a pointless exercise but at least I tried.
Home to the news which is of the a damaging dog-fight between Thatcher and Heseltine for the Tory leadership after Thatcher has ignored the advice of her senior party members and is refusing to stand down and let other members of the cabinet enter the race to unite the party.
A day of important meetings but first a small opportunity to do some work at home. The garden was still very full of leaves and I managed to work for a couple of hours clearing them before I came in. Whilst doing this, I was able to think and reflect on the reports and figures that I had been getting on the ONSITE business performance. When I came in, therefore, I was sure about the approach that I should adopt in this afternoon's meeting and could spend the limited time back in my office preparing the information that I needed to have to hand for the meeting itself.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
- Details
An historic day following the Tory election unfold in Committee Room 12 at the House of Commons, where Michael Heseltine gained over 150 votes and 16 more abstentions to keep Thatcher down to just over 200, 4 short of an overall victory; after which both the protagonists publicly committed to continuing the dog-fight. Thank goodness that Thatcherism is on the way out.
For the rest of the time, on a significantly colder day than of late, I was sat at my desk working away on paying bills, preparing in-payments of received cheques etc, servicing book orders and generally catching up on paperwork. I also took Diana to St Neots to help her with some chores and then on to lunch at the Little Chef to cheer her up after we had heard from Kimbolton School about the interview and tests that Della has to take to get into the 7's entry next February.
Other news today is of British Rail being prosecuted for safety violations by the inspectorate for the Clapham Junction crash
I had a very busy day concentrating on my accounts and paperwork which was unexciting as an activity but very necessary. The excitement was all coming from the Conservative Party where the vote was taking place in Committee Room 12 at the House of Commons for the leadership of the party. However, this was to come to a climax later in the day. For the rest of the time I was sat at my desk working away on paying bills, preparing in-payments of received cheques etc, servicing book orders and generally catching up on paperwork. I also made and took telephone calls and matched up donors of firewood with unemployed and pensioner recipients.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
- Details
I still made breakfast despite being exhausted from the last few days’ activities and was pleased to hear before school that Debbie came first in History in her school exams and Della had been given costume for the school play. After returning the cement mixer, I attended the HDC Planning meeting and managed to change certain of the wording of the plans so as to ensure that Little Paxton was considered as a separate settlement and not submerged within the affairs of St Neots.
Then to catch up with my journal and messages as the rain fell this afternoon and evening whilst noting that Heseltine was predicted to get sufficient votes for the Tory leadership election campaign to damage if not defeat Thatcher; the East/West summit in Paris agreed the final numbers of arms reductions for conventional armaments and a treaty was signed and US President Bush is seeking support for a further UN resolution to sanction the use of force to displace Sadam Hussein from Kuwait.
Freda, reported that Mum had gone home again after two weeks' stay and I asked her to get the accountants in to report on the first six months trading of her ownership of the Redgrave Stores.
To say that I was tired this morning would be a wonderful understatement. I have always had a talent for driving myself to the very limits of endurance physically and mentally and the last few days were no exception. I still got up fairly early and got showered, shaved and dressed so as to have breakfast with the girls. The news was that Debbie came first in History in her school exams and Della has been given her "cockerel" costume for the school play (albeit that it is missing one foot that needs replacement!). Once the girls had gone, I drove round to Cosy Corner to return the cement mixer and then got back to get changed for the Huntingdonshire District Council Planning Meeting.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **