The pre-summit Shultz/Gorbachev talks are looking poor at the prospect of achieving a new arms control treaty in May
The pre-summit Shultz/Gorbachev talks are looking poor at the prospect of achieving a new arms control treaty in May

A morning sharing time with Daniella and organising my election campaign by preparing and delivering new press releases and noting that the Tory canvassers are at last delivering leaflets and canvassing but the weather has turned cold and uncomfortable now and they have missed the best of it! Some canvassing with Marion Woodbridge this afternoon and then me to Southoe this evening. The pre-summit Shultz/Gorbachev talks are looking poor at the prospect of achieving a new arms control treaty in May and the P&O seamen are to continue their strike.

Awoken quite early at 6.30am by Daniella and we cuddled in bed for a while. Then showered and shaved for breakfast. I am tired from a series of late nights and early mornings and did not sleep terrifically well due to the concern about the myriad of parish problems voiced last night and seemingly hopeless task of solving them. Phoned Michael Pope and Moira Biggins and tried to discuss priorities, then rang John Matthewman and found that my printing will not be ready until Saturday, which is a shame. Miss Jeanette Green was not at the meeting last night and some boys had started delivering her first leaflet door to door. One of my canvassers ‘liberated’ a couple of them as samples and playfully sent a deliverer the wrong way by saying that one street had already been done! I wrote up my journal this morning for yesterday. The rain poured down before lunch, preventing Pete from cutting the lawn and it was just as well I did not want to canvass.

I prepared the last press release – this time of me and Percy for the May 2nd Rally and then took Di and Della out to deliver the copies by hand. First to St Neots, where I delivered to the Hunts County News (The Express) and the St Neots Weekly news and we had a morning drink at Tooks. We then drove to Huntingdon to drop a copy off for the Hunts Post, then on to St Ives for a look round the shops and to deliver the last to the Town Crier. Della was very naughty, crying with the rain and cold and she had to have a smack in the end. A nice lunch at the Harvest Cafe and then home in time for me to canvass with Marian Woodbridge this afternoon. The rain had stopped, but it was very chilly. We found a few people in and it was quite worthwhile. Home in time for tea and then out this evening to Southoe. It was very cold by now, but I found a few people in and made some new contacts. Home early to find Moira typing up letters for our polling day helpers with our word processor and photo copier. My journal and then the TV news. The Home Secretary is publicising some sort of plan to attack terrorism by seizing their financial resources and the pre-summit Shultz/Gorbachev talks are looking poor at the prospect of achieving a new arms control treaty in May. P&O seamen are to continue their strike.