David A Broad
A personal story
More than 40 years, told day by day
Noting that just us and the Tories had made lection nominations for the Hemingford Abbots & Hilton District Council By-election as we hear of the tragic death of the next Labour Prime Minister John Smith from a second heart attack.
Last night, Sally was invested as Mayor of St Neots with Brian also getting a ceremonial chain as her consort and Derek Giles the medallion of Deputy Mayor. My Huntingdonshire Council LibDem District Group colleagues had their first meeting last night and allocated their committee places and spokesmanship responsibilities.
New members Charles Looker and Terry Clough were made Finance Spokesman and Deputy Leader respectively
Late to sleep after some paperwork and then arousing TV scenes to remove the tension of today's events. During the fast-moving activity of getting this by-election campaign on the rails, I was conscious of avoiding stress and taking deep-breathing exercises to avoid chest feelings and this turned out to be quite poignant as we were to hear of the death of Labour Leader John Smith this morning suffering his second and most traumatic heart attack.
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A misty day with the air full of pollen and so poor Debbie's hay fever is tiresome for her as a result and we were still missing the central heating hot water.
Two good walks with Sam today; plenty of retrieves on land and water and some obedience work to show for it.
Plenty of telephone calls as I kept the various characters in the campaign team on the straight and narrow.
Another nice day but the air still misty and full of pollen and the smell of the oilseed rape opposite. Poor Debbie's hay fever is tiresome for her as a result. Awake early and time with Diana before we stirred and got ready for breakfast.
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A successful intervention at the Huntingdon Constituency meeting after some intensive conciliation efforts and secured their endorsement of the choice of Mark Rainer as candidate.
Then catching up with Diana to realise that problem was that our downstairs central heating valve had failed and had to be replaced but at least I was there in the afternoon so as show the fitter where the under-floor installations were.
The bid to sort out our neighbouring LibDem colleagues continued with meetings in the evening, but most of the day was clear for me apart from the host of telephone calls to and fro. I was late up and later still out with Sam and so let Diana go out shopping on her own whilst I got my chores out of the way.
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Sam had his longest walks for some time and enjoyed the experience immensely and I dropped by Robert Ward's house in Molesworth and found out what his plans were for his farm.
Then on this evening's meeting of the St Ives Liberal Democrats where I took the bull by the horns and laid out the planned basis of the campaign, inviting the key protagonists to join the organising group for a short chat.
The dog got his longest walks for some time and enjoyed the experience immensely. He now enters water without question and the dummy-holding practice is beginning to pay dividends as he now picks them up correctly.
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I was still tired after the week but carried gamely on with my journal and being political advisor to this new enlarged HDC LibDem group. we had the early morning spectacle of Debbie's guests Tabby and Jo joining her for a swim which was quite amusing.
I was also becoming advisor for the neighbouring St Ives by-election planning, planning to attend their branch meeting to help reconcile warring factions.
This was nothing compared with another huge row has broken out in the Tory party in the wake of their humiliation in the local elections and, with the Euro Elections coming soon, they are in complete disarray.
I was still tired after the week but carried gamely on with my journal, completing the belated updates by late afternoon. Debbie's party friends had a picnic tea and were up late last night swimming by the light of the pool floodlight and then again this morning before leaving for home.
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Celebrating Debbie's 15th birthday with her old favourites friends Jo, Zoe and Tabby but, as it was raining, we could not go to Wickstead Park. Diana took them to lunch and then left them at the cinema for the afternoon.
They were then at home, eating and swimming and watching videos in the evening and out late in the garden by floodlight swimming in the pool again but then we had the worry of Daniel's friends being in the house with four nubile and overactive 15-year-olds!
The news is of terrible ructions in the Conservative Party about the chance of a leadership election to replace John Major and all this in the run up to the Euro Elections in June.
I was very tired when woken this morning but got showered and then dressed in my dressing gown in time to join the family late for breakfast. It was the day we were celebrating for Debbie's 15th birthday, and she started it by opening all of her cards and presents and she had got some good ones too!
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