Defending a prosecution in Cheshunt Magistrates Court for speeding and then a journey down history lane in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire until home to find much building work complete as the Governments bullying of GCHQ staff apparently succeeds
Up as usual and my breakfast of toast and fruit juice and I get dressed in my lighter weight sports jacket and trousers. I leave at the usual time but make my way down the A1 and across to Cheshunt to make an appearance at 10.00am in The Courthouse, Turners Hill. I plead guilty to the summons and charge of exceeding the 70mph speed limit on the A10 bypass on Thursday 19th January 1984 and in mitigation point out that the weather was fine and sunny, the road was dry with little traffic and at no time was I accused of driving dangerously. I also claimed that the following antics of the unmarked black police car had increased my speed as I attempted to get out of its way. A stern Chairman of the Justices, a lady, admonished me for speeding a second time, pointed out that it was my duty to obey the speed limit, they often disqualified drivers for these speeds and it was not for me to criticise the police methods. They obviously took my points into account as they only awarded me 3 points. A stiff fine of £100 and £6 costs as well.
After, down the A10 and across to Hertford County Records Office and the Local History Library. The rest of the morning and until 2.00pm checking on John Broad Jnr’s birth baptism in 1827, John Broad Snr’s marriage in 1809 by banns read on three Sundays in November and lastly trying in vain to find a record of Ann Bull’s baptism around 1790. I can only assume that she was not baptised as I checked right up to 1809. Weary, to Hertford’s old town centre to see the market place and take a cup of tea and Eccles cake for refreshment. Then a long cautious drive home a little melancholy taking in Stevenage, St Ippolyts Church, which is still quaint and picturesque, Hitchin town centre – its market and surrounds, Letchworth – 7 William Way where Diana lived before we married and where we had our wedding reception – the ICL factories, sports field and engineering training school where I had worked – out through Arlesey here I fished both gravel pits as a youth and lived in a flat in a house – on through Harlow and Lower Stondon, where Diana and I had our first furnished flat together – passed the Airman Pub and carp pond where I caught a 17lb 6oz specimen – through Shefford where we bought and lived in our first house together at 24 North Bridge Street; the conifer and Acer trees are grown very tall now – and back to Sandy and up the A1 to home. Arrived well before dark to see that the builders have removed all the scaffolding at the rear, completed the wall, chimney brickwork and are now concentrating on the balcony. A leisurely evening reading the local papers, writing up my journal and progressing work on my latest magazine articles. News today of a claimed victory for the Government over the GCHQ dispute with above 90% having signed the papers and accepted the £1000. £250M also for British Aerospace to develop the European Air Bus wings. Much discontent however over the behaviour of English football thugs in France. A little late and quite tired to bed.