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Day reading and walking in solitude after a Kimbolton family shopping trip and return of Daniel from his school narrow-boating holiday as Scargill and Benn address miners’ demonstration rallies and Thatcher convenes her anti-strike ‘war cabinet’
Up and to read this morning from Pepys 1665 journals of the start of the plague. Then to the mornings papers before a toast breakfast and journey down to the river to let out the ducks. 10 eggs a day is the present average. Off with the family to Kimbolton via St Neots where we shopped. Daniel arrives back from his week’s holiday on a narrow boat cruising the Yorkshires canals and tells us all about his morning fried breakfasts, his work at the helm and with locks and swing bridges galore.
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Tiring but beautifully sunny day of business plan preparation and annual appraisals before an evening finding lack of progress on The Lady at Buckden Marina, as seven Cyprus RAF servicemen area arrested for spying and miners’ deadlock
Awake on time to another beautiful sunny but chilly day. A breakfast of toast and fruit juice after reading for a fair while in bed then off to the factory and down to work. More preparation and checking of the Business Plan and the first decisions on the annual appraisals. Then to chair a meeting of the management at 11.00am to look at the range of product introductions that are planned for the months ahead. A few minutes for a sandwich lunch and then down to several annual review sessions throughout the afternoon.
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Day of business plans and quality consultancy before a late evening of export sales policy and Xitan planning as the miners decide their tactics for their next strike phase
An early awakening again and the bedside clock radio brings me the English National Anthem, awakening at 5.55am to strains of Elgar. Debbie is up and about as usual but Diana lays in with her recurrent cough and cold. Eventually to breakfast and to see the day which is beautifully clear and sunny. To the office and an early start on the business plans, briefing Derek Weatherby on the people budgets and June on the typing and representation of the next draft. A full morning of organising the work efforts before an early sandwich lunch and afternoon quality meeting.
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Full day’s desk work evaluating Xitan events, planning priorities and concentrating on the budget factory expansion and the huge people plan as Irish terrorists shoot a 20-year-old girl teacher, Ted Heath speaks out against Thatcher’s plans to abolish the Metropolitan Councils and the Miners plan their next steps
Early to awake with Debbie up, playing and putting the hall lights on. Up to my normal breakfast and then to the office for a full day’s desk work. June has successfully organised the meetings and appointments for Thursday and next week and I settled to a range of tasks including the start of the 1984/5 people planning process. But first to brief Derek Weatherby on the Xitan events and he soon phoned through to the Accounts Supervisor and confirmed the outcome.