Mum and Dad making visits with Freda and family in their new car
Mum and Dad making visits with Freda and family in their new car

Buying Escort estates for Diana and Dad before a UKITO meeting and afternoon de-bugging my city information systems as 95 miners are arrested at Harworth mass picket

A late night and I awake this morning suffering badly with my throat and chest infection. Up anyway, shaved and dressed for breakfast and, after, in the car with Diana and Daniella to the Hunts Motor Company. In a meeting with their Sales Director, Mr Thoday, we buy two Escort 1300L Estate cars – one each for Diana and my Father. Then quickly to Lifesure to arrange their insurance; to Barclays to put my £900K-odd of cash back on 7 day deposit and then to drop off the girls to Little Paxton. Off to Borehamwood for my meeting with UK ITO and a good meeting and lunch where we decide on a fair programme of close cooperation, but no merger this year.

Subjects for action; the BT/IBM pact; European representation on Tariff Duties and Standards. A cold buffet lunch of prawns and salmon and after back home quickly annoyed at my phone still being out of order for my contacts and messages. Arrived in mid-afternoon and after several calls, all of my communication facilities are fully in place:- PO Box 2 for mail, Telex, Prestel Mailbox and telephone answering machine. Time to contact Comart, Modus and the BMMG as I start to get back in contact again. Time also to use Prestel and Hoare Govett’s database to look at their news on UK shares and securities. Debbie arrives back this evening no worse for her stay with Grandma and Grandad. News tonight of 95 miners arrested at Harworth Colliery in Nottingham as 1000 pickets turned up at the afternoon shift. Interest rates are coming down in the city. Rationing of water in the West Country put off for at least a month. Warm but cloudy weather today and I end the day no worse with my chest infection but with a full day of visits in prospect tomorrow.