Still managing the Hemingford & Hilton election, harvesting postal votes, where our very conservative Richmond Formula had us behind by over 20 percentage points but we were still in contention. T
hen being visibly relaxed at the HDC Annual meeting where the atmosphere was more like a funeral than a christening and a scene of nervousness and shock that the ruling group lost their figurehead in the elections.
Later coping as Sam is attacked by the large black dog from River Close as the young girl handler had him off the lead and could not control him.
The third and final day of our "trial" campaign of intensive electioneering and testing of the ward such that we could meet and decide what to set as our objectives for polling day.
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Amongst the big houses in Hemingford Abbots again this morning but still the same welcome even if our statistics were being weighed down by discoveries of traditional Conservatives and those undecided on how to vote in this campaign. Time helping those people due to be away and too infirm to vote on June 9th to get their postal and proxy votes organised which would put us in good stead to counter-attack later the question of early campaigning.
Another couple of walks for Sam today but he is not getting the kind of training he really needs for Sunday's demanding working test. Worse still, he was attacked by the large black dog from River Close as the young girl handler had him off the lead and could not control him. I sat Sam and he was not to blame but the other dog tore into him several times, wounding the corner of Sam's eye and making it bleed. I had to lash it with a chain three times and then tore off my waistcoat and smothered it before he relented.
Some time talking to the girl about how to control the dog and then I went round to see the family later and talked at length to her father about it. I just hope it will not affect Sam's temperament and that no permanent physical or mental scars will remain. A trip to Brackenbury's at lunch time with Diana which made a change. I took time out this afternoon to change and pop in to see the Huntingdonshire District Council's Annual meeting.
As I was under attack for the ethics of my by-election campaign in the local newspapers, I wanted to drop by and look relaxed and cheerful in front of the local Tories. I also wanted to see the council elect its new Chairman and Vice-Chairman and Chairman of Amenities. The atmosphere was more like a funeral than a christening and I can only describe the scene of nervousness and shock that the ruling group seemed to be suffering having lost their figurehead in the elections.
To her credit, former Cllr Joyce Day who is a nice lady attended in her role as outgoing chairman. I took tea and biscuits with the councillors and also saw a nicer moment as retired councillor Cyril Bridge was presented with a salver and glasses to mark his long experience of serving the council. Good also to see my colleagues struggling to find somewhere to sit as the Liberal Democrat benches were full to overflowing but less good to see Percy not being held a place as leader and having to sit at the back!
After the evening's election work, I called together the organisers and we met and discussed the campaign statistics as planned after the first three days. Our conservative Richmond Formula had us behind by over 20 percentage points but we were still in contention and our conclusion was that we could win if we maintained maximum effort and issued two more leaflets.
All present were committed to making a fist of it and, if we were to win in this ward, then we could win anywhere in the new Huntingdonshire Unitary District. Home late and to bed tired after another full day.