- Details
Cold, chilly and showery Comart Group management day with June, David, Geoff and John as we pursue trademarks, align commercial practise, dispose of obsolete lines and settle job reviews before home to be with Daniel all as Battle rages south of Beirut in the Lebanon
A cool and showery day that brightened later on but remained chilly. Now that I have brought the Barometer in from the boat, I can again see the pressure has recently risen to 1015, and the skies are clear tonight. Early to the office and to complete the filing and plans for a trademark initiative. Then to brief June on her return from holiday in the latest personnel developments and workload – a grand mess of company car accidents and incidents, and good number of promotions, reviews and the odd dismissal to administer. Then a meeting at 9am with David Fear to discuss many matters of cooperation with marketing. I feel that John and David are drifting apart on interpretation of our commercial decisions into practice.
A morning's work scanning the mail, clearing work and delegating then time with John on a trademark and trading – style strategy, taking a call from Geoff Lynch and resolving to use “Xitan” for that subsidiary as a mark above all other. A fifteen minute lunch of sandwiches and Spanish Nougat (present from June’s Holiday) then a two hour meeting with John and David resolving Wyse Marketing, Communicator product strategy and tactics on Tecmar and Cromemco stock disposal. Late afternoon, checking the minutes of the three review meetings of last week, two job offers and signing correspondence for the post. Lastly a review with Carlton Rowe who I find takes suggestions well and has already summed up his staff’s ability and limitation.
Home by 7.00pm and before dusk to assist Daniel with putting the ducks away and completing his homework.
News today of further shelling and fighting by artillery in Lebanon. The U.S. positions near the airport under fire, Lebanese jets in action against the Syrian and Druze and there seems much concern about Sek Elgano which controls the access to Beirut from the south. Comments from Mrs Thatcher on her visit to Holland that Britain intends to stay in Beirut. The opening of the Liberal conference with no doubt on my part that ‘Boy David’ will carry the week.
- Details
Breezy and showery but warm waterside morning of sounds and views with some domestic disputes before some peaceful reading on my boat and an evening watching a TV film whilst scanning paperwork for the morning
A good night’s sleep and lay-in reading the Sunday Times as the strong breeze and rain showered down. A warm morning, however, and with the window open I could hear the ducks quacking, a swan flying overhead and the church bells calling the congregation. The babble of the ducks turned to large quacks as they were let out from their separate divisions and combined on the river. A first chance to lay with Diana on waking this morning, having been so busy and tired of late. She is upset later, however, when I prefer to spend the money on improvements to the house this autumn rather than holiday over Christmas in the Caribbean. Particularly as some decorations will be delayed to enable time and plans to be considered for a fireplace, balcony and loft conversion. Also she does not like liaising on such works to the house and knows that business will deprive me of the opportunity to do it.
In late morning and in some fractiousness, I take Debbie for a short walk to feed the ducks on left-over toast and check out the boat. The new tenant of the plot next door, Dave, is a friend of Marilyn, owns a motor cruiser which is now moored and also knows a Comart executive living at Histon; though I do not place who it is. It seems, speaking to Diana, that his marriage has recently broken up and his little girl likes visiting the boat and moorings which is good. Later today it has turned out quite warm and sunny and I go down to the boat to do some reading away from the bustle of the house. A modest tea of bread and honey before spending the evening watching “The Winds of War” and scanning paperwork.
- Details
Morning at Comart after sleepless night and then London shopping trip with the family with me buying lots of clothes and ending up tidying my wardrobe. Russians unhappy with flight bans and Clive Sinclair launches his handheld TV and gets all of the publicity rather than me!
A very sleepless night, troubled over the problems of Comart Management and the difficulty of keeping the fidelity of the Sales Department to Comart Marketing Policy. Eventually to sleep at 5.00am after two trips out of bed and also opening the windows on a milder night. A windy but mild day with the showers keeping at bay. First to take Daniel to school for woodworking, French and English lessons and on to the office for the morning.
After looking for papers on Xitan and Microserve trademarks I end up spending the time completely re-filing all trademark papers and creating a system for future access and work order. Then with little time to spare to the Bank for £100 and home to collect the girls and on to Kimbolton to Daniel. We then drive together to London for the afternoon, stopping for a ‘Happy Eater’ lunch in Sandy. In London to the Princes Street, W1 branch of ‘High and Mighty’ for four shirts, two sports jackets and trousers and a suit and tie for £500 which I think is good value but a deal of money at once. The truth is that I have neglected the wardrobe and most of my clothes have worn out.
After an hour in Hamley’s of Oxford Street to please the children, we set off home to a tea of cockles and strawberries which we have bought from roadside kiosks this day. After tea we separate the ducks into the two halves of the hutch to see if they lay better over the night. An evening sorting out my wardrobe and throwing out many clothes before wearily to bed.
News of Russian Ministers not going to the UN meeting in New York for fear of safety with USSR civil flights banned and more critical comment including Margaret Thatcher who thinks a two week ban is too light. Clive Sinclair launches his new pocket TV for £90 and his comments in the press on issues is carrying more weight than any I may make which causes me to wonder why government spurns representative trade group opinion and favours industrial company representation.
- Details
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.