David A Broad
A personal story
More than 40 years, told day by day
The Hemingford Abbots & Hilton Count at The St Ivo Centre, where I organised the sampling by our counting agents and found that we had won 53% of Hemingford Abbots and 58% of Hilton to give a very satisfying overall result of Mark Rainer 486, Linda Horner 378, and a winning majority for us of 108! publicity and recovery.
I had already composed and faxed a press release to papers and radio stations first thing, pre-warning them of an evolving news story and now we drove back to The Hayling View to compose and fax another with the result.
We got radio interviews for Mark on Radio Cambridgeshire and Chiltern Radio and then coverage on the day from the Cambridge Evening News with the theme of the Tories losing one of their safest seats in John Major's own back yard and the story ran on news bulletins all day.
Only after that would I engage with Derek and Sandy Giles about Ross McKay’s behaviour
**"Read More" BELOW for the complete story**
Walking Sam before and after managing our St Ives troops into battle for the Hemingford Abbots & Hilton By-election. This involved early morning deliveries and explaining the operation and use of Ears to the St Ives helpers and working late to collect my equipment and to correlate the statistics and prepare things against the morning before I could afford to go to bed.
We had a fairly mild but quite showery and wet day but by the end of it, by my figures, we had got out over 80% of our vote and over 70% of the electorate as a whole.
Another full day of activity as I marched our St Ives area troops into battle in a very tight campaign for polling day. It started with the die-hards getting up early to deliver reminders to all our supporters before the polls opened at 7.00am.
**"Read More" BELOW for the complete story**
Preparations continued for this eve of by-election as I delivered leaflets to Peggy in Hilton and then set up my 4/86 system in Hemingford Abbots where the resident had to be reassured.
Then rather late on to the St Neots Public Meeting to participate in the controversial Priory Lane traffic debate where Ross McKay made an outburst and insulted the shopkeepers and Wiggly brought news of the calling of a by-election in Eynesbury for July
Most of this morning working at home on my part of the election organisation and liaising with the other key people to make sure arrangements were in hand. It was the arrival of the "Please Vote Today" leaflets that was the final part of the jigsaw and, after lunch, I took these across to Hilton so that Peggy could bundle them up into deliveries for sending round to early morning helpers.
**"Read More" BELOW for the complete story**
The weather started misty and then continued brighter until the sun came through and it got quite warm as I left Sam at home after his walk and took Diana to Cambridge to see my parents-in-law. T
he evening working on election preparations and political work as Wiggly came round with the Hilton Vote Today leaflets and returned my 4/86 for me to use on polling day.
Another poor night. I do not know why I was not sleeping so well but as likely reasons the nights are quite warm, and I also had a lot on my mind at the time. Just like yesterday, the weather started misty and then continued brighter until the sun came through and it got quite warm.
**"Read More" BELOW for the complete story**
50th anniversary memorials to the sacrifices of our troops commemorated for "D-Day", as Her Majesty The Queen joined French President Francois Mitterrand also paid their respects. The weather was glorious here this evening but raining in Normandy.
I walked Sam first thing and noted that the barbed wire fence into Little Meadow had been re-erected (and pulled down again) and then defended my shooting to my neighbour after she found an injured Jackdaw.
I got over to Hilton for some canvassing this evening and the outcome is far too close for my liking.
It was a sad and poignant day as the 50th anniversary was marked for the passing of those involved in the strategic landing of Allied troops in Normandy. In this vital battle, a bridgehead was established for the start of the re-occupation of Europe and the defeat of Adolph Hitler.
**"Read More" BELOW for the complete story**
On a fine day after all of the rain the day before, and walking Sam, I rush down to the GSP Club training ground at Eastwick for dog training to which Jim could not come but Sam acquitted himself quite well.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Normandy "D-Day" landings, the news is full of the wartime stories.
After all of the rain yesterday, it had cleared up to leave the night cold but dry and the sun was shining this morning for my regular monthly dog training session. Diana was still prone in bed until I got her to take some tablets and I was also suffering from tiredness and the effects of alcohol, so I had something of a lay in.
**"Read More" BELOW for the complete story**