Off to The London Tower Hotel for a BMMG meeting on the LAN project after collecting my College of Arms scroll and back through heavy traffic to an evening of garden and swimming pool planning as the US buy French rather than British radio communications sets for their ‘Star Wars’ project.
A better night, but my jaw is steadily deteriorating and becoming more painful. Awake to morning tea and time to read the FT headlines before breakfast, but, time being short, I have to shower and dress quickly so as to get out. By car to London, where I call in at the College of Arms and collect my Patent. This is a splendid document and I shall tell more of it later. On to the Tower Hotel car park and by foot to the International House for a day of BMMG meetings. First the Council meeting and, though successful with much business transacted, it was poorly attended, which is a shame. The group now numbers of 30 and it is difficult to see why only a quarter of them can trouble to attend.
A luncheon of sandwiches and coffee and then a technical presentation by DMS and LDR on their LAN defaults from 2.00pm onwards. A few more companies turned up for this, but not many. I left at 3.20 so as to get home by 5.00pm, which was good going for a journey normally blighted by heavy road traffic. The day had turned very fine and warm and I regretted missing it. A walk round the gardens and then changed and to a tea of grilled trout, which were very nice, but becoming a bit repetitive. After, to review Daniel’s school work and finding only an hour for him to do (as I thought), I allowed him to play with Paul until dark and they cruised around for a while on his day-tripper, taking advantage of the fine evening. I went out to smoke out another mole and then toured the back garden, planning the new layout. I perceive that we can build on the design of our new back garden recently acquired with 6 Willow Close and replicate the circular lines, crazy paving and sunken lawn to match. We can then have a quarter-circle patio (identical to the other) but this one leading via some circular steps to a new swimming pool. Diana is pleased with this as she has always wanted one. As darkness falls, I clear up outside and then come in to see how Daniel is progressing. Despite his claim to have fully read and understood a mathematics textbook chapter, I find his knowledge wanting and spend a frustrating evening drilling him on it. I then find time to study the Patent and find it depicting my own arms, those of Queen Elizabeth II, Earl Marshall and the College of Arms. It is sealed by the Garter Principle King of Arms and the Clarencieux King of Arms and a full Norman French definition is written, which I have copied overleaf. A fine document and heritage for a fine English tradition. Then to TV and to bed. News today of the large US order for battlefield communication systems going to the French Rita rather than the British Ptarmigan system. This is a reverse for Mrs Thatcher, who had put British diplomacy on the line by lobbying President Reagan on loyalty grounds. If there is no British business from the US star wars programme, we could see a more anti-American UK stance developing. Two more West German Secretaries defect today and the UK announces another 5 USSR expulsions. We now wait for the Russian response to see whether it is defused with only 2/3 expulsions, or whether a full 5 Brits are expelled. David Steel, leading this week’s Liberal party conference, calls for constitutional discussions on the Queen’s prerogative in the event of a hung parliament. The weather is forecast to continue fine tomorrow after a dull & cloudy start.
The full wording of the Patent is as follows:-
TO ALL AND SINGULAR to whom these Presents shall come, Sir Alexander Colin Cole, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order; upon whom has been conferred the Territorial Decoration, Garter Principal, King of Arms, and sir Anthony Richard Wagner, Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Clarencieux King of Arms send greeting!
Whereas DAVID ANTHONY BROAD of Willow Close, Little Paxton in the County of Cambridgeshire, Gentleman, Batchelor of Science of Brighton Polytechnic, Fellow of the British Institute of Management hath represented unto The Most Noble Miles Francis Stapleton, Duke of Norfolk, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the British Empire upon whom has been conferred the Decoration of the Military Cross, Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England that he is desirous of having Letters Patent of Armorial Ensigns granted and appointed unto him and duly recorded in Her Majesty’s College of Arms and hath requested therefore the favour of His Graces Warrant for our granting and assigning such Arms and Crest and in the same Patent such Device or Badge as we deem suitable to be borne and used by him and by his descendants with due and proper differences and according to the Laws of Arms, and for as much as the said Earl Marshal did by Warrant under his hand and seal bearing date the TWENTH-THIRD DAY OF JULY 1984 authorize and direct Us to grant and assign such Arms and Crest and in the same Patent such Device or Badge accordingly Know Ye therefore that we by The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty to each of us respectively do by these Presents grant and design unto the said DAVID ANTHONY BROAD the Arms following that is to say
Argent on a Fess wavy between in chief two Anchors and in base a Lightning Flash Azure three Microprocessors Gold And for the Crest upon a Helm with Wreath Argent and Azure A Heron Argent beaked and armed or supporting with the Dexter claw a Pheon Gold. Mantled Azure doubled Argent And by the authority aforesaid we do further grant and assign the following Device or Badge that is to say A Roundel quarterly Azure and Argent in the first quarter a Decrescent and in the fourth two Chevronels couped and conjoined Argent the whole surmounted by a Lightning Flash in bend sinister Azure as in the margin hereof more clearly depicted to be borne and used for ever hereafter by the said DAVID ANTHONY BROAD and by his descendants with due and proper differences and according to the Laws of Arms
In witness whereat we the said Garter and Clarencieux have to these Presents subscribed Our names and affused the seals of our several offices this Twenty Fifth day of June in the Twenty Fourth year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Eight Five
A Colin Cole Garter J C Brook-Little for Clarencieux Recorded in the College of Arms, London Cowlad Sloan York Herald and Registrar