Clayton's and Barrett's in St Neots in the late 1960s
Clayton's and Barrett's in St Neots in the late 1960s

After a poor unseasonably mild night, when still preoccupied with the School Lane planning decision, I relaxed with breakfast and time in the conservatory before further work on my history book. A break to take Diana to St Neots for the Clayton’s closing-down sale and then on to Sandy before collecting Debbie and taking her horse-riding where she was jumping multiple fences. An evening making a good contribution to the Environmental Services Committee Meeting of the District Council, and then home to news of the latest IRA bomb-making discoveries and of the sectarian shooting of three men in Ulster. The government insists that the British Rail Channel Tunnel link will go underground but will not provide any money, Prince Charles calls for compulsory CFC reductions and Prince Philip criticises intensive farming

A very poor night. The day being unseasonably mild, and the heating still on, meant that our bedroom was too warm for most of it. Also, my mind was still full of the Planning Meeting and decision to go ahead with flats in School Lane, Little Paxton. To breakfast and then the conservatory where the fish continue to improve. Then this morning working on my history. Also went into St Neots with Diana to look at the Clayton’s sale. They are closing down after 75 years which is a crying shame. We had coffee and then went off to Sandy where Di went to her sister-in-law to deliver our folding cot and I went to Avenue Fisheries to pay for an ammonia test kit and to look at the carp.

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After lunch, I worked on by correcting the spelling and grammatical errors in the Institution Chapter and printing it out. At 3:30pm, I had to go over to collect Deborah and take on to Offord for horse riding. She did some jumping on Sundance with multiple fences and turns and is coming on quite well, even if she is not too happy about it. Home and quickly changed and then off to Huntingdon for an Environmental Services Committee Meeting of the District Council. Though I had not managed to prepare, I put in a useful contribution unlike the lone Labour Councillor who said not a word. I heard that my dad had gone into hospital at Addenbrookes today and will have his ear operation tomorrow and mum is going to cope at home with the help from their neighbours. The news today was of the IRA bomb-making material in England were Thatcher is due to speak soon at a conference. Also of a new sectarian shooting in Ulster when a petrol station owner and two elderly men were shot dead. The government have been influenced by environmental lobbying and will insist that a large portion of the British Rail Channel Tunnel link will go underground. However, they will not provide any money the BR to do it. Prince Charles has spoken out against the ‘voluntary’ adherence of industry to CFC reductions in use advocated by the government and says that compulsion is necessary. Prince Philip, in last night’s Dimbleby lecture, has criticised the process of intensive farming and the use of chemicals in the form of pest control and fertilisers.