Cooler, rainier and windier Autumnal day in my home office working on the BMMG annual report and harnessing ICL to oppose the BT/IBM initiative as Mum and Dad visit
A good night’s sleep and we wake to rain and wind with the realisation that the heatwave has well and truly broken and the breezier weather set in. Across, after breakfast, with Daniel to our office in the old house and there to sort out my papers whilst Daniel works away at his long division tutorial. He and his friends think I am hard to interrupt his holiday so, but it is only for a couple of hours a morning and he needs to improve to get off the bottom of his class. Everything soon sorted out and work started on typing and printing my August 1984 BMMG report and letters to the Chairman and Secretary to cover it. I have suggested circulation with the Council Meeting Agenda and inclusion in the newsletter. By the time we had lunch and finished them, my parents had arrived and Daniel biked off to St Neots to post my letters first class, whilst Diana and I gave them afternoon tea and chatted.
Then the first performance of our Bude video films and shots of the Butterfield family, house and farm. After a sit down high tea we returned for a re-run of this section and they were very pleased (if noticeably sad) to see them. After our latest film of the boat trip which was also enjoyable and interesting. I discuss the financial help I could give Freda and will talk to her direct when she has had her operation. Today is her day for admittance to hospital and we wish her well. Eventually they are away home and, after three games of croquet with a persistent Daniel, I settle down until midnight with the word processor preparing a letter and report for Rob Wilmot of ICL tomorrow. In it I brief him on the IBM and tariff duty issues and the state of negotiations with UKITO. I conclude with a BMMG invitation to join formally and await his response in the morning. News today of massive recrimination between Scargill and McGregor with the potential talks in disarray. Also of the tumble of sterling and the stock exchange over this and the strength of the US dollar. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.