Recovery day with the family after yesterday’s mad exertions and news that NEDO wants me to chair a Micro microcomputer NEDO committee, a great honour, and then time with Daniel schooling him on Chemistry and to see Debbie’s ballet lesson this afternoon as the first of this season’s fogs causes a great M25 motorway pile up, killing 10 and also kills a novice train driver
I am sound asleep this morning and go back to sleep after getting my morning tea. Eventually to stir and try the paper and, tired, down to breakfast as the last arrival. A meal of fruit juice and honey toast before up to actually read The Financial Times. After the birds to spend an hour at the office. Still no word from de Zoete on the return of my £125,000, nor from the printer on my stationery, and I phone Selwyn and remonstrate with a less than helpful production controller. I wrap things up and accompany Diana to Bedford for some window shopping. A tiring tour due to my late night and a few things brought in Marks and Spencer, and inspected in Boots and Debenhams. A very unfortunate accident in the Debenhams restaurant as I tip a pot of scalding tea all down Diana’s front, scalding her badly. We recovered to enjoy a nice meal of soup and turkey roast. Home wearily and, for me, back to the office. There was Oxford vs Cambridge Varsity rugby being televised and I only intended to collect mail and messages, but it developed into a session. Selwyn left a message and, when I called, undertook to ready my stationery next week. I reconnected Nigel Smith, apologised for yesterday’s bizarre PITCOM arrangements, and arranged to meet tomorrow afternoon at his house to progress the BMMG LAN arrangements.
Lastly I heard from Martin Isherwood after 12/14 years. He has his own PR company and cannot believe the events that have happened to me during that time. He still sees me as a backroom boy. We arrange to meet tomorrow near Piccadilly for lunch. I also make contact with ICL and agree a dinner meeting with ICL’s UK MD, Alan Russell, and Technical Director, Mike Watson, in late January. I try to contact ACTs Brian Androlio for a similar rendezvous, but have to be content with leaving a message. Lastly, I hear from the NEDO consumer electronic secretariat. They have managed to get Nigel Seale, MD of Sinclair, Hermann Hauser, Chairman of Acorn, Commodore and others to sit on the Hobby Micro working group and have asked me to chair it, which is an honour and my greatest challenge yet. Then to feed and settle the doves and ducks as darkness comes and quickly off with Diana by car to the village hall. It is the chance to see Debbie’s ballet lesson. I am impressed with the size of the class, but not the standard. They try, but have a long way to go. Home on a freezing evening to light a log fire, which I bank up to put some warmth into us. A fractious tea of turkey pie, Brussels and broccoli and an argument after on the children wanting yoghurts rather than frozen raspberries we had brought home today. A large fire, which warms us up but an hour with Daniel after tea disciplining him. He has made a poor and careless showing on his chemistry exam and I go through all his papers with him lecturing him on his carelessness and lack of preparation and presentation. Then to tackle him on borrowing money without permission, when it is forbidden and, worst still, lying to Diana about it. In the end, all in tears, he apologises to her and agreed that it wouldn’t happen again. A comfortable evening watching Cagney and Lacy on TV (a detective series) and writing up these last two days journal. News today of a fearful motorway crash on the M25 when at least 10 people died in a multiple collision crash in the first fog of the season. A petrol tanker burnt to death many drivers trapped in the wreckage. Another underground train crash in North London killed a train driver in more fog on his first day’s duty as a qualified solo driver. They think he drove through a red light. Environment Secretary, Jenkins, is allowing low spending councils to increase their budgets by 4 ½ instead of 4 ¼ %. Some can even spend 4 5/8%, which is the kind of news that will impress no one.