As Debbie got uses to her brace, I both made and received calls from political colleagues and others, broke off to watch some televised sport and caught up on the news about HM The Queen’s visit to Australia. The evening on Focus editing and copy.
I was slow up this morning after the efforts of the last couple of days but joined the others at the breakfast table. After not managing it yesterday, Debbie successfully ate her croissant this morning with Diana taking up my suggestion of warming it in the oven and not the microwave to make it flaky rather than chewy. Once they were gone, I shaved, showered and dressed and then made some key telephone calls to political colleagues about the events of yesterday to ensure that they had been sufficiently absorbed. Whilst having an extended coffee break, I watched the Sky Sports television coverage of the Cricket World Cup and saw Australia beaten by the newly-returned South Africa side.
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Until now, they had been excluded from world competitions because of Apartheid and, in beating the Aussies, can now claim to have been unbeaten since 1972! The Queen has just left Australia after a state visit and left behind her a controversy over her treatment there. The prime minister's wife would not courtsey and her husband kept putting his arm on her shoulders contrary to royal protocol. The tabloid newspapers have had a field day! The rest of the morning writing up this last few days' journal and then heard from Barnes Brinkcraft that the Paxton Princess was ready after modification and repair and could be picked up on Friday! The rest of the day laying out the artwork for the FOCUS advertising sheets.
This was quite a business as it involved the scanning of original artwork for the graphics and reduction of this to the right size and shape. Then the copy had to be added and the whole designed into a coherent whole for each of three sheets. I was irritated this evening by the local party chairman and then parliamentary candidate's family both telephoning me and chasing me about St Neots Area preparations for the General Election. I only have a certain amount of time that I am willing to give to local affairs and they would have me spend it all on an election that is unwinnable for us at this stage of local development. This was the price of being at home one evening and trying to do some work in my office.