On a cold and drizzly day, I was tired and struggling to work effectively even inside, Diana and Daniel came home with the sad news of denting his car in an accident. This evening planning our election campaign with Michael Pope and agreeing Focus copy with the theme ‘a history of action and promise of more’. The US/Soviet summit talks seemed to go well and Mrs Thatcher hosted President Gorbachev to a Downing Street banquet and paid tribute to his ‘peaceful resolution’. The government announced today its unilateral decision to scrap the dock labour scheme covering 9,400 men in 40 ports and, with threats of industrial action, market worries depress the stock market
I felt very tired all day, which was a discouragement to working effectively. I spent some time tending my plants and fish this morning and even more later. The dehumidifier could only cope when the conservatory was ventilated, and I think that I need a more powerful unit to cope with the requirement. I worked at my desk today, clearing some paperwork and making phone calls to organise my affairs. I carried on this afternoon until Diana and Daniel came home with a tale of woe. They had dented the car by impact with another and they admitted it was their fault. Daniel was overconfident and careless and Diana not sufficiently alert to put the handbrake on. This evening, Michael Pope came round and we exchanged ideas on this third and final leaflet – opting for a centre spread that would show a collage of press cuttings and old Focus copy so as to preach the legend, ‘a history of action and promise of more’. We finished early so as to get to bed on time for once. The US/Soviet summit talks were described today as ‘deep, wide-ranging and very friendly’ and Mrs Thatcher paid tribute to President Gorbachev for his ‘peaceful resolution’ in the Soviet Union at this evening’s banquet at 10 Downing Street.
** PRESS "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
Trade and aid agreements were signed on visas and the gift of a new school for Armenia. Gorbachev had earlier visited Case of Rickmansworth, the computer company. An all-out dock strike is threatened by the unions after the government announcement today on the unilateral decision to scrap the dock labour scheme. This covers 9400 men in 40 ports. The opposition accuse the government of risking major economic damage. On the stock exchange, the index fell 25 points and the gilt-edged stock last one quarter of a point as the market worried about trade balances, interest rates and inflation. The coldness and drizzle of today will continue overnight with only some gradual improvement tomorrow