Morning catching up on current affairs on a cold and wet day as Autumn arrives and sensing sluggish economic growth as I hear news from Freda of trouble between Mum and Dad and we are eventually told that the Russian military has shot down the South Korean jet for taking a short cut across Russian territory
A very cold and wet day, the summer having broken sharply and the daylight hours are ever shorter. We lay in bed much later than in recent days. Indeed I do not personally rise until lunchtime, spending the entire morning in bed reading The Sunday Times, The Economist and Management Today, and other papers to bring me up to date after our boating holiday. The undercurrent of business and management affairs is that we are to expect little growth in manufacturing industry and the economy in general. The world’s stock exchanges are near the top with inflation low but this is to start rising soon. Employment will remain at present levels or grow slowly and the 3 million plus out of work will remain wasted. I read a good industrial and business survey of Scotland, from which I learn a lot of the efforts to regenerate industry and the economy. The S. Korean jetliner seems now to have been taking a short cut across the Soviet territory and the Russians were unable to identify it as a civilian airliner.
Yesterday my sister, Freda, telephoned me concerned about my Mother’s condition and Father’s circumstances. She had received several calls recently from Mum wanting to get away from Dad and seizing on a suggestion to visit and stay with Freda. Because of her physical condition and Freda’s circumstance and remoteness the idea is patently ludicrous. In a call yesterday I put the suggestion to Dad that I arrange a convalescent home for Mum for two weeks and they were to consider it. Today when I phoned, Dad explained that there was a letter in the post pointing out why they couldn’t accept and I suspect that Mum is against the idea.
A call from John tonight suggesting discussions on collaboration with Wyse Technology on workstation design. Tomorrow I welcome our new Manufacturing Manager and I have prepared his office accordingly.