The season changes as I find time for family life as the kids grow up and Daniel starts Kimbolton School but I achieve major reforms of the Comart Group; take part in very many microcomputer industry roles and gain potential recognition as a consequence. The Tory government struggles with the economy and industrial unrest and the US invades Grenada
This month, the weather started warm with plenty of sun with and then it turned wetter and stickier before being it got very cold later in the month. The Lady was taken for short runs earlier on and then laid up for the winte. Debbie started the month with a coughing fit which may have been linked to her allergies and my duck house clearances. I completed much family history research and Daniel settled in to Kimbolton School but we miss him on Saturday mornings. He has become a computer buff and a good programmer as well. We had a great family weekend in London and I enjoy Diana who dresses for my private pleasure on more than one occasion.
In the business, I complete considerable work on trademarks and trading styles as I re-organise things and incorporate Comart Computers as part of the enlarged Comart Group. I get Peter King to move down to manage the Byte Shop group and reform Xitan administration. I also completed significant work managerially inside the Comart company with Quality and asset management a priority. We make use of our new Portacabins and reorganise our space as we expand. I am personally becoming quite the industry figure, being invited to DTI, NEDC, NCC, IBA and PITCOM meetings as I also get the BMMG involved with the Alvey initiative. This results with recognition approved, in principal, for my new personal Achievement of Arms as a gentleman with the distinction of a Heraldic Badge and Standard, awarded only to grantees ‘with a large following.’
The key government industry ministers of interest to us rotate due to certain indiscretions and we become stuck with hardliner, Norman Tebbitt, at the DTI as I make public comments for the consumption of the press accordingly as part of my regular authorship of articles and opinions. At the Party Conferences, Labour degrading the ‘Militant Tendency’ and electing Kinnock and Hattersley as the ‘dream ticket’ and, in the first day of the Tory Party Conference, the customary law and order debate and ritual has delegates baying for the blood of serious offenders which Leon Brittan satisfied them with promises of longer sentences. Economically, spending control is presented by the hard line in the person of Nigel Lawson, the Chancellor all as Sterling falls and bank interest rates reduce to 9%.
There are Ulster Prison Officer strikes, British Shipbuilders are planning more job cuts and contraction as British Telecom management was thwarted by alternative engineers refusing to cross the picket lines set out against privatisation but Jim Prior bravely speaks out against public service cuts. The row over cruise missile deployment in Europe has moved to Germany with public protests by the Green Peace movement. There is now less than 10 weeks to go before deployment and Thatcher has agreed with Mitterrand (President of France) today that if the general talks on disarmament fail that Europe should deploy. The US invade Grenada for good measure after their PM and other ministers are killed as 640 Cubans were captured and above 100 more killed who took part. The US suffers huge casualties of over 220 in the Lebanon this month. In fact, throughout this month, there are troubles in the Lebanon, Pakistan and Afghanistan. And then earthquakes and volcanos in Japan, Southern Europe and floods in America and an Italian town has the ground rising 8ft in 30mm steps and also a great earthquake in Turkey has above 1000 dead and six villages flattened!
Back in England, the domestic problems are still mass unemployment and its side effects but everybody talks about Geoff Boycott at war with his beloved Yorkshire Cricket Club. Forever the English!