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Daniel's Birthday – A busy day after help from LibDem activists, one of which visited to install a necessary printer option and the other printing more election stationery which I collected from Little Shelford in preparation of the canvassing to start the next day. Another trip in the Reliant with the girls to the playing field before the St James Church service where the new lectern bible was dedicated . In terrorist incidents, a retired air force General was assassinated in Spain by Basque separatists and two women were injured as a bomb exploded near a stadium in Madrid. In Israel, Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli nuclear scientist who revealed details of their efforts to make a bomb, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. He claimed it was an act of conscience and 20 scientists, including 12 Nobel Prize winners, signed a petition for leniency.
A much better night’s sleep, where I managed to put the previous day’s events behind me and recover fully. The clocks changed overnight and so we lost an hour today. 8.00am was now 9.00am. Had a call soon after my fried Sunday breakfast from John Matthewman, who phoned to say the majority of our canvas cards had been printed and were available for collection. A busy day it was to turn out. Was expecting Bill Burrell this morning to commission my cut sheet feeder. He was confused by the time change, arrived late and then we worked right up to lunchtime to get the thing working, but did it in the end. Had only time to feed the ducks and doves apart from this. After lunch, I took Di out in the Rolls Royce and we drove to Little Shelford, as Daniel looked after Della. Di drove back as I read the canvassing cards and we enjoyed the trip. Arrived back to a congested Willow Close, where the cars are becoming ridiculous to cope with.
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Started the very windy and showery day after a terrible night still ill from Frank Hall’s whiskey hospitality and then rewarded Daniel with a Sharp compact disk player for his best school report ever. This before receiving offers from Marilyn’s ladies to display window bills and delivering these and many others later. The same news of Ulster and industrial troubles
Awoke early again after my terrible night. Still felt quite ill, but got up, showered etc, to try the breakfast. Could not face it and so relaxed with some drinks (of the non-alcoholic variety!) Then we decided to set off to Bedford to buy Daniel a birthday present. He had a very good school report today – his best ever – and so I agreed to get him his compact disk portable player. Parked in Lurke Street car park and had morning coffee at Debenhams (though I was still on fruit juice). Then we bought the present at a price of £280-odd, but the Sharp player was of good quality and the retailer was Boots. I then bought two torches and some odds and ends at Halfords, which I needed. Home this afternoon and I had a message from Marilyn that the old ladies that have their hair dressed by her (10 of them!) all want window bills to put up in support of me! I also put rear car stickers in three local cars as well. Then Di wanted a trip in the new Rolls and we were just about to go for a run around the block when her Mother arrived and so we took her too. Di was disappointed that she could not take it out for another spin on her own later, but I am anxious not to get the wrong image in the village this early in the campaign.
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An early morning train journey to London to collect my Rolls Royce after lunch with my family at the playschool ploughman’s lunch event at the village hall and then an evening visit to Frank Hall who made me drunk and sick with whiskey until late in the night! The news today was of sharp losses on Wall Street, as another share slump seems to be in prospect.
Slept well enough and started the day on time. After breakfast, I worked in my office, tidying my desk and finishing the display boards and then I started progressing a few matters by telephone. My replacement photocopier cartridge has been delayed due to Canon’s maladministration again, but some other things were progressed. I started thinking in terms of rushing to London to collect the Rolls Royce this morning, but Peter Eaton was out at the Chelsea Workshop. Had my lunch and then decided to go anyway, dropping off at The Birches to see Paul Seale on the way to pick up information on Little Paxton history and spread the word. Then Di took me to the St Neots railway station and I caught the train to London, reading the Cambridge County Structure plan on the journey!
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Early morning run to collect my election leaflets on a very windy day and then Michael Pope called and collected four rounds plus Southoe/Diddington and then I and family/friends delivered more later in the day after which I set up my office as a committee room. The funerals of the two British Army corporals, more Dover ferry disruption, the Guinness stockbroker is arrested upon arrival back in Britain as the stock market plunges 50pts and two Reagan aides at the heart of the Irangate scandal, Col North and Admiral Poindexter, have been brought to trial for defrauding the US government.
Up early this morning, as I was due to drive over to Cambridge first thing to collect my first leaflet. Managed the preparation and the journey OK and was back here soon after 9.00am. Out to feed the ducks and doves on a day when the wind was blowing very strongly indeed – virtually gale force. Michael Pope came round and Daniel helped him count out the leaflets for the delivery rounds, whilst I tried to get the room in some order. Then Mike delivered the four batches for other deliverers, kept the Southoe/Diddington pile for himself and left three bales with us.