We visited Kimbolton Prep with Diana and Della to take ‘thank-you’ gifts and cards to the children of the 7’s forms, who made Della welcome.
We visited Kimbolton Prep with Diana and Della to take ‘thank-you’ gifts and cards to the children of the 7’s forms, who made Della welcome.

After attending to some Hayling View issues, I welcomed Percy and Sally to work on this month’s FOCUS and then visited Kimbolton Prep with Diana and Della to take ‘thank-you’ gifts and cards to the children of the 7’s forms, who made Della welcome.

The empty large round Victorian Chair in the late Hugh Hunter’s empty office would take some filling. After our next visit to the dentist back to Little Paxton for a sociable Parish Council meeting with seasonable sherry and mince pies.

I was up reluctantly as usual and then, after breakfast, down to the domestic chores that start my every day. The conservatory pond is still leaking water via the valve seal but I received the replacement parts in the post today and will fit them as soon as I can. Got out to see the gardener this morning and celebrated our capture the errant mole and also paid him for this last week that had been overdue since Monday. His job of clearing the fallen leaves is just about complete for this autumn season and he is now undertaking the task of shredding and composting the same.

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I then cleared up my office for I was expecting council colleagues Percy and Sally for a working session on this month's FOCUS. I had just completed this in time for their arrival and we set down to periods of work and discourse interspersed. I heard of the latest developments on the St Neots Town Council where the opposition motion critical of Ross McKay was finally lost and the episode can be put behind us. Then work proceeded on editing and sorting FOCUS material and we agreed to change the "Christmas Message" of PPC Sue Sutton as being more a report on County Matters than seasonal analysis. By the time of a late lunch, we had text for the common centre and each of the four editions of the St Neots area ready for circulating to the ward activists for their alterations and corrections.

I had to leave then for a visit to Kimbolton Prep with Diana and Della to take our little girl's cards and small gifts to the 7's forms. We first tried the administrative offices and there found no sign of anyone save a man's jacket on back of the secretary's chair in the outer office. I knocked and walked into the headmaster's office, the traditional domain of the late Hugh Hunter and found it as he had left it rather bare but with gifts and things around. I think that nobody has had the heart to move anything, and the jacket shows that the secretary is away and that his deputy feels uncomfortable in occupying Mr Hunter's office. That large round swivel Victorian mahogany office chair will take some filling.

Across to the 7's classrooms where we found one of Della's teachers and both 7's forms and they were very pleased to see her. She was shy and unsure of herself, but we gave out her cards and chocolate Christmas Tree Ornaments as gifts and then they all signed her plaster with felt-tipped pens which settled her in. We collected some light school work for her to do and then said our fare-wells for then. She was made to feel welcome and still part of her group. Off quickly to a dentist appointment with Mr Osborne in Kimbolton High Street where, to her misfortune, we found that Debbie had already arrived and was being examined first. She had moulds taken of her teeth and is to have another appointment in two weeks' time to establish how her teeth can be straightened and coloured.

Della had her examination and was found to have had no damage from being run over but was also thought to need her teeth straightened as well or else have a gap remain in the centre and her other teeth crowded as a result. Both Di and I were all right, though he noticed a click in my left jaw and advised I avoid opening my mouth too wide for fear of encouraging arthritis in later life. Then home via the Happy Eater for our tea. Little time to do anything after before off to the Parish Council Meetings which were agreeable enough save that I should resolve to say less at them in the new year as I am too dominant in the proceedings which is flattering but unhealthy. Parish Chairman, John Knight, was light-humoured and positive in the chair and then performed the tradition of providing sherry and mince pies for the council in a nice social interlude afterwards.

I relaxed for the small time left once home and then went to bed after some junk television. The news was of the release at last of Terry Anderson as the last of the US hostages held in the Middle East. The solemnity and significance of the occasion was somewhat lost as the escorting party either got stuck in the snow in the Lebanese mountains (or had some last-minute differences and doubts according to who you believe) and so all were late for the media party. The UK stock exchange and sterling has been rocked by the latest Mirror Group/ Maxwell Communications revelations that saw a £350million hole in the pension funds and the resignations of both the Maxwell sons in disgrace. The weather is mild and misty as of late with exceptionally-high pressure.