Mark Bowles applied for the vacant gardener/handyman job and I decided to take him on
Mark Bowles applied for the vacant gardener/handyman job and I decided to take him on

Feeling more rested after a good night sleep, as the weather got brighter and warmer, I continued my inside and outside chores. An applicant for the gardener/handyman job called after lunch and I decided to take him on. The Poll Tax appeal was dismissed in the High Court and now the councils will go to higher courts of appeal. And the RPI rose to nearly 10% which was badly received by the markets.

The weather gets brighter and warmer every day and this morning was still and warm making it very pleasant to go out. I was feeling a bit more rested and relaxed after a good night's sleep and was able to work more productively. I tended my doves, fish and plants and then settled down to my journal, financial transactions and correspondence which took until lunchtime. After lunch we had a breakthrough as Mark Bowles (a young man from Beeson Close) came round to drop in an application form for the gardener/handyman job. I chatted to him for a while and he seemed to have the necessary skills and enthusiasm, even if he lacks the experience.

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I spent the rest of the day answering correspondence and also watching televised World Cup football. I also found time to go to the sheds and to do a preliminary job of clearing them up. Later, I telephoned a few people in Paxton to try to get references on Mark Bowles and, even though they were non-committal, I decided to take him on a trial basis to see if he could do the job. I typed up a job offer that included all of the necessary points and dropped it round to him in the fading light. It had become quite warm, still and humid this evening and the forecast looked good for the Kimbolton Sports Day and Little Paxton School Fete tomorrow. The Poll Tax appeal was dismissed in the High Court and now the councils will go to higher courts of appeal. The retail price index has been pushed up to 9.7% by food and housing cost increases. This was higher than expected and badly received in the markets which fell on the news.