Key Technical Director meeting before updating group Statutory Registers and Minute Books and then pleased to read my Computer Weekly article as EEC convenes a Foreign Ministers’ meeting and Thatcher’s cabinet thankfully stops short of agreeing her proposed EEC sanctions

Up early and after breakfast to the office for a full day’s work without formal meetings. During the day to achieve a good deal of progress as a result. I see Ian Nickson and impress upon him the need to curb the excessive spending and be more conscious of restraining costs to budgeted levels. Also reemphasise my view that; for us to consider taking on an expensive software engineer, settling the agency fees and removal expenses; he must be invited back for a second visit to St Neots.

I write up the statutory books of Birmingham and Glasgow for the single share transfers of December and later prepare the agenda and draft resolutions for next week’s Board Meetings – apart from the normal review process, we have to transfer Mr Coventry’s shares and approve an inter-company guarantee. I obtain quite wide coverage in Computer Weekly today for budget comments and am even more pleased with my decision to telex the comments early on the day following budget day for this purpose. This evening reading Dr Freeman’s CCTA report, the manufacturing and purchasing strategies and going through the telephone monitoring reports adding comments as appropriate. Late to bed and after hearing of a late EEC move to convene a meeting of foreign ministers on Tuesday. It seems that Thatcher was persuaded to stop short of deciding to withold VAT payments illegally in today’s cabinet meeting.