Debbie's special morning’s horse-riding hack on a friendly farmer’s fields
Debbie's special morning’s horse-riding hack on a friendly farmer’s fields

I rose tired after last night with aching legs from an evening of energetic dancing and the rest of the family came to the table in their night things. Then I went off for a political meeting in Cambridge, dropping her off at Great Staughton for her special morning’s horse-riding hack on a friendly farmer’s fields and organising to put Sundance out with the other ponies kept there for a ‘rest week’.

The meeting had been called to for organisers to discuss the Liberal Democrat strategy for the forthcoming General Election for which it was agreed to target Cambridgeshire North-East for victory but I struggled to get them to unite against the Tories and cooperate with Labour. The afternoon and evening pasting cuttings of Little Paxton news in my scrapbook. It was a lovely day today – cool overnight but then sunny and barmy which made it very pleasant just to wander around the gardens this evening.

The Gulf Summit had gone well with accord on all points of current policy but others were resisting the US and Britain stance ‘reserving the right’ to invade Kuwait without the further endorsement of the United Nations

I was tired after last night; not only with loss of sleep, but also with aching legs etc., from an evening of energetic dancing. I was still the only one up and dressed for our traditional Sunday fried breakfast and the rest of the family came to the table in their night things. I tended the conservatory plants fish and doves and then took Debbie with me as I went off for a political meeting in Cambridge. I dropped her off at Great Staughton for her morning’s horse-riding hack. She had arranged with a riding companion and her mother to ride around the farmland opposite which was a special concession as a friend knew the farmer very well. I drove on to Cambridge and met representatives from four of the Cambridgeshire constituencies.

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The meeting had been called to discuss the Liberal Democrat strategy for the forthcoming General Election for which it was agreed to target Cambridgeshire North-East for victory and try to reach second in the others. I was a bit alarmed by the Cambridge City delegation who are at daggers drawn with the local Labour Party and saw them as the main enemy, when we were counting on working in close cooperation with the opposition to the Tories elsewhere. Also, with the Cambridgeshire South East candidate, Wetherspoon, who was also very anti-Labour and more concerned with getting his second place rather than getting a LibDem elected to the constituency as a whole. It was eventually agreed that we send a special fundraising letter to all members briefing them on our strategy and inviting them to contribute to a ‘Cambridgeshire Fighting Fund’ for general election purposes.

The meeting finished before my deadline and so I was able to drive back across Cambridgeshire to Great Staughton to collect Debbie who had enjoyed a good morning and was ready for me when I arrived. At Di’s request, I saw that Sue Usher, the proprietor of the riding establishment, and informed that we were going to put Sundance out with the other ponies kept there for the ‘rest week’ that she has at this time of year rather than to try keep riding the ponies regardless. Home for lunch and then I spent just about the whole afternoon and evening sitting in the lounge, going through this summer’s newspapers and taking cuttings of Little Paxton news for my scrapbook. It also brought me up to date on the local political scene which is useful as I will need to get another FOCUS out soon.

Whilst doing so, I was also watching TV with the family with the feature film ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ the highlight. It was a lovely day today – cool overnight but then sunny and barmy which made it very pleasant just to wander around the gardens this evening. There was a tense event tonight as Daniel had left our Range Rover behind a strange car and the neighbour opposite had parked alongside it so that it had become blocked in. I was called out to move ours and, trying to tell the owners of the parking problem there that is an inconvenience to us parking outside our houses, an argument broke out with great irritation all round so that I was reluctant to move my car in the end but still did so.

The Gulf Summit had gone well with accord on all points of current policy. There is a difference on the use of armed conflict should the sanctions not succeed with the US and Britain ‘reserving the right’ to invade Kuwait without the further endorsement of the United Nations but with the political opposition in this country and the East to this stance insisting that the global consensus must prevail. There are stories emerging of internal conflict in Iraqi and occupied Kuwait, but this may only be Western propaganda.