Early morning reading Pepys and then sitting with the kids in bed discussing their hard school experiences before hard time catching up at work and retaining branch staff as we have to retest all stock communicators with disk issues. Late planning June’s work for Monday and speaking to Diana about her family problems which are worrying her

Slept well but woke at 6.00am and read a good section of Samuel Pepys Diaries until morning tea was brought up by Diana and Debby and Daniel joined me in bed. Daniel is talking more of his new school now and is settling in with the customary traumas. They are certainly working him hard and homework is ensuring that he is kept busy in the evenings as well. He now has friends in class and on the bus, has learnt to tie his tie properly and completed his first week with some confidence. Debbie has been tired after four consecutive days at Rising 5’s and I taught her about spiders this morning, she having drawn out the lesson in a nice picture by tonight.

To work and an irritable and disorganised day. We all of us from yesterday’s meetings troubled with catching up on our work and not wishing to continue the debates. I made contact with Peter King and Geoff Lynch by phone after writing the minutes and discuss the personnel problems at length resolving to keep Barry Lock at Xitan and Trying to retain Debby Garrett at Byte Shop Southampton. Busy today dealing also with aspects of the Comart Production deciding to retest all communicators from finished goods which have two 96 tpi tandem drives within – some 22 in all. Late at the office preparing a list of priority work for June’s return on Monday.

Tonight a long talk with Diana who is upset by the break up of sister Sue’s marriage and the start of Breast Cancer in her mother. Reassured but weary from talk we retire at 11.00pm to bed.