Duckly consternation as I write the Group Review and monitor a range of press stories about us in The Times, The Guardian and Computer Weekly and liaise with Industry contacts as a huge confrontation is planned by the NGA at Warrington but the US and USSR resume talks on nuclear missile limitation

On time to the office after the normal palaver of letting out and feeding the ducks. They are still not laying a single egg and are rapidly becoming a principal point of concern.

At the office the first few hours spent writing the Chairman’s Review of the group accounts which is always a difficult task for want of pitching the comments to please all readers. Also to set motion in train to recoup advance years of contract revenue that had been incompletely transferred from Comart to the Byte Shop group companies. A succession of meetings up to lunch and beyond as well as clearing both morning and afternoon mail. This afternoon to approve change notes, and dictate all manner of correspondence; and brief June on producing agenda and notices of meeting for the group AGM’s. The arrangements for group employee participation in the share scheme are also quite involved. Press interview by phone with Microscope on the BMMG and tariff victories should be printed next time. Peter Large of the Guardian interested in our US New York Metropolitan Railway deal but the Dept of Employment are not at all happy with our Computer Weekly story on the YTS scheme.

News today of preparations for the biggest confrontation yet between the NGA and the Warrington Printing Works. The NGA Union Secretary, Joe Wade, is seeking the backing of the TUC tonight but all national newspapers should be printed tomorrow. The Commonwealth Conference of Heads of State has ended in long and compromised statements on arms reduction and Grenada, although Mrs Thatcher was the most discordant note and blocked a plan for a new world economic summit. The Geneva talks between the United States and USSR have resumed on intercontinental missiles.

The weather today cool but fine and frost just being avoided.

Diana is still poorly but gradually resuming her domestic tasks.

The Chairman of Export IT called today and offered time in a seminar for the UK’s trade attaches and also appreciated my intervention on their behalf and would see us take a much more leading role in the future.