A month of fine and sunny weather to start the season of longer daylight hours which was a blessing for our work in two election campaigns and a surprising fillip for my first trip to Caithness with Diana later in the month.
Work to integrate a widening number of party colleagues into our LibDem group as our seats on Huntingdonshire District Council went up from 8 to 11, and we took over electing Sally Guinee as Mayor of St Neots and Derek Giles as her Deputy Mayor.
I was struggling to find enough time for training Sam but his waterwork became good and he got a 6th place out of 28 Novice Dogs at his first main event.
Personally, was saddened by the death of my Uncle Stan Bertin but the nation mourned the death of Labour Leader, John Smith, a man who commanded universal respect even by his political opponents and was otherwise destined to be the next Prime Minister.
My other major excursion of the month was to Scotland when, for once, Diana joined me and the weather was glorious; giving her a totally-false impression of what the Highlands were like and I enjoyed collecting my stag's head at last.
My daughters were enjoying events and Diana still got snacks to Brackenbury's, lunches at Happy Eaters and I took her to Peterborough to see "Blink" and "Three Weddings and a Funeral"
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In all a month of fine and sunny weather to start the season of longer daylight hours. This was a blessing for our work in two election campaigns and a surprising fillip for my first trip to Caithness with Diana later in the month. Most of the month was dominated by elections: The final days of one of my most difficult local campaigns in the St Neots area with wards being defended and won all over the place; and the task of setting up the basis for a good performance in the Hemingford and Hilton District By-election, where our St Ives colleagues needed help to get organised.
Locally the time was spent ensuring the last leaflets got out and then that sufficient canvassing was done in their wake. I had to get Terry Clough integrated into our campaigning team and accepting Derek Giles's supervision and then helping young newcomer Louise Busby in our Eynesbury non-target ward. She is a good acquisition to our team but is also rather a handful in more senses than one but has made a serious impression on Daniel and his friends when she called. A less-than-fit Percy was suffering in the Offords campaign and I felt the strain myself as I struggled to get our new EARS software to help put wards into walks in preparation for polling day.
A tough and demanding election day saw us fighting on all fronts and struggling to hold the organisation tightly together but we came through with flying colours and with no human casualties. We successfully defended two seats in Offords and Priory by increased majorities and won a third in Buckden whilst our colleagues won two more in Sawtry and Godmanchester so that our seats on Huntingdonshire District Council went up from 8 to 11, Labour staying the same at 4 and the Tories falling from 39 to 36.
This was echoed around the country on a splendid night for the Liberal Democrats. In the next few days, we elected Sally Guinee as Mayor of St Neots and Derek Giles as her Deputy Mayor so it was a time for celebration all round. No sooner than that was over, I was thrust into the by-election at Hilton and had to organise a string of meetings to get our neighbouring colleagues away from their disputes and into a jointly-motivated campaign.
At first it just seemed an opportunity to train these colleagues but then, as the Tories selected local bette noire, Lindy Horner, as their candidate and we got back our initial canvassing results, the idea of a shock victory became a distinct possibility. The Tories were taken aback by our early start to the campaign and tried to come back at us with some good literature, postering and spoiling tactics whilst I was away but we ended the month in good shape for the polling day.
Almost as if under cover of my election distraction, a number of developments took place locally. More and more rough land is being fenced off against dog-walking and the willows were felled and grubbed out by John Osborne on the meadow opposite with talk of cultivation soon. Our new handyman was earning his keep and having completed the decoration of the outside of the conservatory, then did the inside as well.
It was a month where I was struggling to find enough time for training Sam but his waterwork became good without the initial hesitation to enter which will pick him up points at events. Even so, he still got a 6th place out of 28 Novice Dogs at the Rotherwick Working Test in Surrey and was 3rd in the Scurry. It was also nice to see him also judged "Very Good" in Confirmation whilst there. More pointing practice with Jim in Norfolk and at Molesworth which will set him in good stead for the forthcoming Spring Pointing Tests and, though his delivery of dummies continues to improve slowly, he still needs more steadying to shot and dummy-launcher. The main tragedy of the month was him being attacked and bitten near the eye by the black dog from River Close which seems to have made him more nervous of others.
I managed to reorganise my filing cabinets this month but was saddened by the death of my Uncle Stan Bertin and upset by not being informed about the funeral. Some time in Norfolk where Diana and I started getting the garden in shape and I convened and ran the Ropes Hill Dyke Residents Association meeting and got elected as its Chairman again; nobody else being willing to serve. Nothing changes! I found out about the Broads Local Plan afterwards and this will be another issue. I was also still in touch with the Hilton campaign whilst there and receiving daily statistical updates.
My other major excursion of the month was to Scotland when, for once, Diana joined me and the weather was glorious; giving her a totally-false impression of what the Highlands were like. No deer found when stalking but the small trout introduced to my loch are growing and will be ready for taking next season. My trees there are doing ever so well but I enjoyed collecting my stag's head most of all; which I immediately hung on the wall over the stairs once I got back.
Diana had a few worries in the month over Debbie's birthday party and was less than pleased by the amount of time I was spending on one election after another. This came to a head when I was not available to let here go to "Keep Fit" one day, but I made it up to her with a meal out the next. She also tried out a Yoga lesson and wants to take it up seriously this Autumn. I also made two trips to Cambridge with her on Tuesdays and just about tackled the question of her parents getting my old dad's car which had been worrying her.
In the end, Debbie's 15th went well with her friends taken out to lunch, then the cinema and a relaxed and fun evening in our swimming pool. She grows bigger and more beautiful every day. Della had a nice day with Harriet at Dean Grange and also had Katie Morris over one Saturday when chancing upon her in St Neots Library. The time at Brownie Camp was no trouble. She still makes an unnecessary meal out of her homework but does it beautifully. Even with all this, Diana still got snacks to Brackenbury's, lunches at Happy Eaters and I took her to Peterborough to see "Blink" and "Three Weddings and a Funeral" and her time at The Forss House Hotel was a degree of luxury and gluttony that I shall have to avoid her getting used to.
At least she also had a long overland stalk with me to see some red deer hinds and their calves and got some compensating exercise. Whilst in Norfolk, there were trips to Winterton to offset the snacks in Jarrolds and Oliver's. Daniel had another laid-back month with plenty of visitors including the odd female round but does not do much with his life apart from causing Di heartache with his housekeeping.
Elsewhere, the tragic event of the month was the death of Labour Leader, John Smith, a man who commanded universal respect even by his political opponents and was otherwise destined to be the next Prime Minister. TV programmes were changed to become tributes to him and the EuroElection campaign was somewhat spoiled, overshadowed and even suspended until his funeral. Even so, the latest provocation for him, the "talking-out" by government MP's of the Disabled Persons' Bill by a shady arrangement, was not put right by a Tory party who know no shame. John Major was in trouble again; this time carelessly attacking the "Begging Homeless" when he himself ended benefits for 17 and 18-year-olds. Manchester United beat Chelsea 3-0 in the FA Cup Final.