Reviewing the Hilton by-election where the contest was still far too evenly balanced to make us feel comfortable and confident.
Home to watch England beat South Africa easily in the first Rugby Union Tests since the ending of sanctions and apartheid.
Later to Lynn's 40th Birthday Party at Hail Weston House with Nigel strangely distracted as their marriage seemed about to fail.
One of our busier days with lots of things planned for morning, afternoon and evening. The weather changed and became rainy all day but I did manage to go out with Sam before the worst of it.
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I also got over to Hilton and re-canvassed the "outs" in the rest of Church End and adjoining roads before the spitting turned into wetting rain. The results were quite promising, but the contest is still far too evenly balanced to make us feel comfortable and confident.
I used the rest of the morning, when rain stopped play, to review the organisational plans for Thursday's Polling Day with Peggy and this was time spent valuably. A rush back to take Diana and the girls out for our Saturday lunch but, after driving over to the Croxton Happy Eater and finding it brim full with long serving delays, I opted to take us back into town to eat at The Bridge Hotel where it was quieter.
A nice meal and interesting interlude overhearing the conversation of two businessmen at the next table. It transpired that they were Optometrists running a chain of practices; two in St Neots, one in Huntingdon, St Ives etc. and it was all very revealing. This would all lead to me persuading Debbie to take up the profession.
Home afterwards where, still tired from my recent exertions, I rested in the lounge and watched England beat South Africa easily in the first Rugby Union Tests since the ending of sanctions and apartheid. Nelson Mandela and all of the other dignitaries were there, and it would have suited this re-formed nation to have had a better result, but it was good for English Rugby to see our team back on form again.
Then time spent in several telephone calls to my Ropes Hill Dyke neighbours, briefing them on the problems with Arthur Edmunds and warning them of a delay. I also checked again with my by-election campaign and opted against having another organisational meeting as we were all busy getting on with things. Then, a walk with Sam who I managed to get to make a good water retrieve across the river on a dove shot earlier and some dummy practice on coming in and delivering neatly.
Time raced by and it was then time to go over to Hail Weston House for the notable party organised to celebrate Lynn Smith's 40th birthday, Nigel had not sent out formal invitations and so we had to check on the time and arrangements and I think that this led to half of the invited guests not turning up. Even so, there was a good number of people there although they did not seem to know each other which made socialising rather difficult.
A huge marquis graced the lawn with mat floors under a large dance floor and a band and disco played all evening. There was ample and good drinks, food and tables but it turned out to be a chilly evening and all present found the tent quite cold. After this, Nigel arranged a fireworks display with his normal excesses of noise and light which, coming after 11.30pm, must have intensely annoyed the village neighbours and distressed their animals.
It was all rather grand if a bit over-the-top and we were distressed to see Nigel spending time at the end of the evening with who we took to be his mistress Kate (but later found out to be her sister!) in the Hail Weston House dining room. We fear that this, their second or third marriages, is destined to break up soon which leaves me, as godfather to their children and executor to their estate, feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
Diana had drunk too much of the punch and found the strain of socialising too much and developed a bad sick headache that meant we had to come home soon after midnight and I was left wondering what sort of aftermath they had. All those arrangements for Lynn cannot compensate her when all she wants is a stable relationship.