The warmest February day in London for 30 years
The warmest February day in London for 30 years

A breezy day, despite being sunny and mild, the warmest February day in London for 30 years and in Rome for some centuries, but more wind and rain in prospect for the next day. I started it surveying the garden with Pete for work to be done and, after writing up two days’ journal, a cycle ride around the village to make some visits and review the Anchor Pub bottle bank, which had proved very successful.

To get my foot dressed at St Neots surgery where I declined to chair the Scouts Executive suggested by their nurse and found the shops and barbers too busy with schoolchildren on holiday. To Willington for some bedding plant seeds and then an evening meeting of the Liberal Democrats                

I was fast asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow and I did not wake up until called at 7.00am, but I am still not getting enough sleep. I washed and shaved in time for breakfast and then got myself into the bath but needed Diana's help to get me out later! It was a very sunny and mild day, but the breeze was still there. I went out and walked around the garden with Pete, inspecting the state of the plants and ground. The earth is still very damp and there is plenty of work to do in setting out new paths. The daffodils are growing and some of them are in flower already and we will soon have to think about sowing the seeds in the conservatory for the bedding plants. The trouble is that the doves insist on eating most of them, but I hope that if we plant enough of them this year than some will survive.

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Then to my office to write up these last two days' journal before taking a little cycle ride around the village to see if I could chance upon Mrs Ruff and her sister. I could not, but I delivered the latest batch of planning documents back to Jack Coupe, the Parish Clerk, and then dropped by the bottle bank to see how it was doing. It had just been emptied and, talking to Rudi Piana (the licensee of The Anchor), there had been no problems or complaints and the bank had been full after just 2/3 weeks which makes it very viable. Back home to make myself a lunch of fish salad and then it was then time to go into St Neots to the surgery to get my foot dressed. Had to wait a while and, when the District Nurse came, she turned out to be the lady from Paxton that organises the local Scouts group. We chatted about the village and the Scouts but I had to decline the offer of becoming the Chairman of their Executive because of my other commitments, but I offered to publicise their need for help in our next FOCUS.

I stayed in town for a while, bought a 1990 fishing license from the tackle shop and then walked around, looking in the shops. I would have had a hair-cut but the barbers was full of Longsands school-children, home for the last day of their school holiday. When I got home, I had a cup of tea but Chrisula was visiting and so I drove out to Willington Garden Centre to get some seeds and goodies for starting our bedding plants, which will soon be needed to brighten up the garden. The daffodils are out in some parts but the whole looks a bit barren.

After tea, I sat and watched a TV film with the girls, quite tired by my exertions, and then it was a rush to get out for this evening's meeting of the Liberal Democrats. It was a bit slow to get going but there were good contributions from Michael, Percy, Derek and Sally and also the presence of a potential new recruit and so that our plans for the forthcoming campaign seem well set. My second computer was there and in use and I copied across the files that Michael and Sally had typed in so as to start on the next FOCUS's over the weekend.

The late news tonight is of speculation on the ambulance drivers' reception of the pay offer. The lack of a pay formula for avoiding future year's conflict is a glaring omission. It was very warm today for February - the warmest February day in London for 30 years and in Rome for some centuries. More results of our global warming no doubt. The winds and rain are due to return on schedule tomorrow.