- Details
Comart office day and Product Introduction Meeting before meeting Tony Keston of the DTI to seek support as the Tories plan to scrap city councils for political reasons.
In good time to the office and first to brief John Lamb on problems of yesterday on car loans and service matters. Then the mail briefly and to convene the Product Introduction meeting to discuss all projects which are progressing into production. A full agenda for two hours including introduction of the forthcoming topics of standards work, modular production and change note procedures. Then to check outgoing mail for signature and immediately to receive Tony Keston of the DTI, showing him around the factory and to lunch to discuss computer industry affairs.
Then to the office for a long session of discussing Comart alone and the range of support schemes for financial support. The DTI policies are selective support of the ‘winner’ computer manufacturers and we must appear to have an overall strategy for success. A hectic half hour of desk work and then evening discussions with David Fear and John Lamb on building and managing our team of people. I agree short term sales executive recruitments with David, realising it will be next year before we can have sufficient resource to segment effort on a market sector and geographical basis. John has real problems with Service Manager, Daniel Joffey, who has relationship problems with staff colleagues alike who regard him as arrogant. The company was very busy today with all departments striving for the achievement of the new weekly targets. Business currently looking very good. A minor tragedy as I could not find my car key at the end of the day and had to be lifted home!
News today of a big row over the city councils being earmarked for scrapping by the conservative government – all strongholds of Labour. This is seen as political war and interference. Continued speculation of Cecil Parkinson’s position and likely resignation and also news of conservative party discontent before the next week’s Conservative Conference. Meantime the Labour Party under Neil Kinnock has the media in good shape and could rally the party yet.
- Details
Arduous Byte Shop London board meeting and housekeeping issues at Comart before an evening meeting with Nigel Smith on microcomputer industry tactics as Cecil Parkinson gets caught out with his secretary
A dull day and early rendezvous at the factory with John Lamb for a drive down to London and the Byte Shop London Board meeting. The traffic was very heavy and delays frustrating but I had dropped my car off at Stevenage station so that John chauffeured me there. I caught up on a great deal of reading as a result. An arduous meeting with much confusion and complication over the Byte Shop administration systems with added personnel problems a complicating factor at London. Abruptly to finish the meeting before three and a fast train back to Stevenage and managed to write up the minutes on the way. They will never realise what clarity in minutes I manage to make out of the confused meetings I have to deal with.
A fast drive from Stevenage to the office and much concern over the poor standard of housekeeping and tidiness in the loading bay area. Derek Morgan was also having trouble in agreeing the terms for the agreement for taking over our new building lease and thus commencing work. An evening meeting Nigel Smith of Modus, the BMMG vice chairman, and to hatch up plans of several types. First to agree publicity on the BMMG victory we are encouraged to claim on the Duty Issue. Next to prepare a speech for Nigel to present on Alvey. Last to the future of the Federation and whether the BMMG has a role to play. Off to the Falcon for a drink together and I suggest to Nigel that he could take over the BMMG chairmanship when I have to retire in February.
To bed late and tired. News today of Cecil Parkinson’s affair with a former secretary who is now carrying his baby and of strong denials that he will have to resign which I am sure he will in the end.
- Details
Productive day of Comart company meetings and administration as a Brit regains the land speed record and an Italian town has the ground rising 8ft in 30mm steps causing concern there
A good lay-in after an equally good night’s sleep. Breakfast with the family and off to the office on a bright sunny morning. The weather later turned dull and cool. A day of meetings and desk work with company administration progressed and priorities agreed on Purchasing, Marketing and the Manufacturing side. The first meeting on developing a new Quality Policy and I spend the early evening writing up the results. A much better day for catching up on correspondence with June back on form.
News today of a row in the Labour Party Conference with Jim Callaghan provoked into speaking out against unilateral disarmament. Lech Walesa is awarded the Nobel Peace prize and intends to ask permission for his wife to travel and receive it on his behalf. Richard Noble of Great Britain drives to achieve a new world land speed in Nevada following in the footsteps of Hobbs and Campbell in a great British tradition. Further fascination in the media with the case of the Harley Street Doctor Brian Reynolds, arrested in the US charged with conspiracy to murder his partner Dr Peter Stephan – although both are involved in the hocus pocus business of life extension and rejuvenation. Also a spectacular report of the Italian town, Potzwali, where the ground is rising 8 feet by regular hourly seismic shocks 30mm at a time – the public are very anxious at this phenomena. Back in England, the domestic problems are still mass unemployment and its side effects.
- Details
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.
- Details
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.