Back to work and to many personnel and other issues as June has prepared my desk with care and efficiency as Debbie and Daniel play with Rebecca and David Tomblin for the last time

A cool but fine day with only a breeze and no rain. Early up and to the office after a rather sleepy return to my work schedule. There to find again my backlog of work neatly arranged in sections for action, reading etc. plus a typed report on the status of personnel matters and other important work. Many messages to return calls but highest of all needs to talk to Peter King about personnel issues. Soon to follow the mail in large quantity and the rest of the morning sorting the workload and reviewing the status of vacancies, offers outstanding and accepted.

Lunchtime for a drink with John Lamb and David Fear. Business is looking good with SDL OEM orders for £30K of Communicator modules and government contracts coming on stream. A Comart sales meeting due tomorrow will see good backlogs of orders for a solid September. An afternoon reviewing press comment and reading material, passing on the bottlenecks of work to my subordinates. I note that Mrs Little has had a letter published on me in Informatic Magazine and conducts a dialogue via the media as one is not possible direct! By the end of the day, work under control but much to do in the rest of the week.

News today of another coach crash, this time in the Scottish Highlands. Also more interchanges on the S. Korean incident, now that Russian news reports are becoming more detailed. But still they are short of an apology and reparations which is the minimum the western nations would settle for. Israel’s withdrawal from Beirut and Begin’s retirement leaves power vacuums in both countries.

At home Diana is in bed tonight with a headache. The children have played with Rebecca and David Tomblin today and will miss them tomorrow. A late evening for me watching the first of four episodes of ‘The Godfather’ epic, which will make me quite tired by the end of the week.