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Day in London of NEDC meetings and Family History, company share transfer registration and company names research as June is back at Comart and all seems to be well in my absence
Up at 6.00am but could only get going after ten minutes when Diana brought me a refreshing cup of tea. On to St Neots station after a shower and brief breakfast of toast and apple juice and there to catch the 6.57am train for London. It was not possible to get a day return and the full first class fare came to £15.20. They have now completed the structural work on the station footbridge and only have the lights and signs to erect. I am sad at the departure of the old footbridge and, although I understand the extent of its deterioration, the splendid wrought ironwork is of an age gone by. The new concrete and stainless structure will be far easier to maintain of course and the railway of today runs with a basic minimum of staff.
First to the Registrar of Deaths in Kingsway, WC2 by tube and Aldwich Station. There to search painfully through the Death Registers for 1894 to 1868 to try to find either my great-great-great or great-great grandfather John’s Broad death certificates. No joy in this but I found one or two possible relatives and applied for their details. Then to the Bank for funds and the first time I did have a £50 note in my change – it shows St Paul’s Cathedral on it and Sir Christopher Wren. Then to the Stamp Office in Bush House to have marked and stamped all manner of share transfers that took place these last few years.
By taxi to my NEDC Working Party on Tariffs at Millbank Tower to arrive a little late at 10.30 for my meeting. Two hours at least discussing the recommendations on tariff reduction on semi conductors so that computer equipment makers can be competitive with the US and JAPAN. A satisfactory agreement to equalise the duties eventually though I fear the delay for staged reduction. A buffet lunch at the NEDC’s expense and then by taxi to Companies House in the City Road to search names and their usage. By this process to reduce the first list available to me for the new name of the organisation to three – “Group Micro”, “Synerteck” and “Unimicro” with two other possibilities reduced to one – “Alliance”. Now to await the results of the trademark searches before making a final decision.
Back to Kings Cross station by tube, a phone call to the office to establish no problems outstanding and June back to work, and then by tube again to Swiss Cottage Library of Local History to continue my search into my ancestry. I discover that John Broad (Jnr) was at St Pancras during the March 1851 census and that he was born in 1829 in Watford. This fact will help me to trace his father’s background. A late journey home by train to St Neots via Hitchin and short drive from the station home. A very warm day today for October and quite stuffy to be active and travelling.
News tonight of a further victory for Neil Kinnock as the hard left are prevented from making too many gains on the Labour Party’s National Executive. Another stage-managed arms limitation offer by the US President that will no doubt be similarly rejected and tales of earthquakes and volcanos in Japan, Southern Europe and floods in America. Bed early to Diana, tired from my long day’s exertions.
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Tough and sticky day in the office hatching an action plan for group internal communication and trademarks as Labour matures, Boycott is sacked by Yorkshire and Sterling falls as the bank rate is reduced to ‘only’ 9%!
Back to work and an early setback with June falling ill and having to be taken home. The rest of the day struggling again with the workload, mail and queries on personnel. I will be most grateful when her assistant is established in post as I do not yet feel that she has fully recovered from her bereavement and its stresses. A visit today by Peter King and together to discuss a full range of issues including a clarification on his own contract. Also today I formulate action plans on structured internal communication and the group registration of trademarks.
News today of the Labour Party Conference and the rejection of the five militant tendency party members. Criticism also of the prison security in Northern Ireland with industrial action at another prison in the province over lack of security. Yorkshire cricket club sack Geoffrey Boycott as the latest crisis for the club, even though he was the season’s highest scorer. Bank interest rates were reduced by ½% to 9% and the pound sterling reduced on the foreign exchanges as a result.
A warm mild day without sunshine but sticky to work within doors and out of the breeze.
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Relaxing and enjoying a sunny and warm day tending a bonfire, reading, cruising in The Lady and driving the Rover around the area
A fine warm day with temperatures around 70degF and plenty of sun to warm and dry. We lay in as Diana had been up until 3.30am with Debbie. Deb had been coughing again but did not become as frightened as the night before. Daniel was despatched to fetch the tea and coffee for a wage of 50p but, much to Diana’s disgust, the coffee was too sweet and weak! I stayed in bed to read the Economist and Sunday Times and continued during the day to catch up on a volume of other reading from my briefcase. Having cleared out the straw from the duck hutch this morning and made a bonfire, the hutch itself dried out easily in the fine weather.
After lunch to wash and vacuum the car and then to watch the first live football league match on television between Spurs and Nottingham Forrest. An excellent tussle which ended in Spurs winning by two goals to one after an early goal had put Forrest in the lead. I am troubled at the moment with the mounting toll of personal and business paperwork and do not have the will to work ceaselessly to catch up. A break this afternoon however, as I take The Lady around both islands to blow the cobwebs away. Then to drive the Rover around Little Paxton and St Neots, stopping for a choc ice in the riverside park.
News today of Neil Kinnock winning the Labour Leadership and Mr Roy Hattersley the deputy leadership. They make common cause claiming a new and different atmosphere pervading in a Labour Party, expensively taught the errors of internal division. Further troubles in the Lebanon, Afghanistan and Pakistan which I have difficulty in becoming concerned about.
The fine weather is forecast to turn to rain tomorrow and I hope that will spur me on to more paperwork.
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A cool and damp family day after a troubled night of coughing fits with Debbie as the America’s Cup travels the world and Labour sort out their leadership plans
Early up and dressed and to our new Doctor for the first time with Debbie. A troubled night with my little girl almost suffocated with coughing and stress causing Diana to stay up all night. We fear the onset of Asthma, but he treats it as croup and remains unwilling to make a diagnosis at this stage, asking that she is kept relaxed and does not consider it as a disease.
A dull, cool and damp day and I spent it reading at home, watching the television and catching up on some work; leaving only to collect Daniel by car from Kimbolton. Daniel has become quite expert with his Killer Gorilla game and I confess to joining in. I order brass duck novelties of a pair of book ends, and a set of fireplace irons and add an old fashioned sealing wax set.
News today of eight IRA fugitives as unwelcome guests of an Irish Household. The Americas cup home to Australia via London for its makers examination, and preparations for tomorrows election of Labour Party Leader and Deputy. The Kinnock/Hattersley ‘Dream Ticket’ seems to be more than that.