The weather was cold weather for election campaigning and also for my work outside on my swimming pool and other chores first thing. I was keying in the Eaton Socon canvassing returns and organising Derek’s campaign before I saw him off to his Town Council meeting before leaving to go to my own Southoe Annual Meeting and the latter went well.
The "UK idea" for "Safe havens" for Kurds in Iraq is being taken up by the US and French who, together with the UK, will police the areas but it is despite the contrary advice of the UN
Another cold morning as it had been chilly again yesterday and quite unbearable during the evening canvassing session. I tended the conservatory and then spent a couple of hours on the swimming pool, sweeping round the edges, vacuuming out the debris and then checking the chemical levels. I was quite chilled as a result of all this and had a rest with a couple of cups of coffee and watched the end of a TV programme before resuming my office to catch up on this last couple of days' journal. During the rest of the day-time, I was keying in the Eaton Socon canvass results so far and just about finished this by tea time.
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Then I quickly had tea and got out to Eaton Socon before the canvas session started. I checked that the canvas clip-boards were all ready and then got David Giles' help to sort out un-canvassed roads in groups for the evening's canvassing. I also keyed in the results of a few other cards that had come back from other workers. I got Chris Colbert out and saw Derek off to his Town Council meeting before leaving to go to my own meeting in Southoe. I had also received a call from Percy to the effect that his wife was injured and so he had to stay at home with her. It was the Annual Parish Meeting for Southoe and ended up being quite a good meeting. There were not many people there but those that were all came with their own ideas and had plenty to say for themselves. That category included me as well as I prodded the council into deciding to take the matter of the village playing field further and into taking a more positive attitude on the subject of vandalism.
Quickly back to Eaton Socon and to key in the evening's canvas results. Then Derek came back from his Town Council meeting and we chatted for a while before I came home. The campaign is looking much more under control but is still complicated with the coincidence of Town and District elections and the fact that we have all of the main parties and a sitting independent to contend with and monitor. Tonight the Tory papers are crowing about the "UK idea" for "Safe havens" being taken up by the US and French who, together with the UK, will police areas in Iraq for the Kurds to occupy and be looked after. This is despite the advice of the UN and against the wishes of the Iraqis who regard this as an un-warranted intrusion into their internal affairs. They accuse us of doing it for reasons of internal politics rather than international humanitarian relief. Nobody knows for how long this arrangement will last and, whilst it is welcomed by all UK parties, it seems to be very ill-considered to me. Diana heard that her grandmother has declined further today, breaking a hip as well as being deaf and blind; although she is well over 90.