London trip on another cold day to meet old friend and contact Martin Isherwood and then on to Hail Weston to edit the BMMG/LAN report with Nigel Smith before seeing Debbie as an angel in her school play and getting warm in bed with Diana; as the government interferes with the court process against the miners and South Africa arrests anti-apartheid campaigners on supposed grounds of sedition and treason
Awake from a very sound sleep on a cold morning and a welcome cup of tea. Down to a breakfast of toast and the first of some new natural honey combe before washed, dressed and out to feed the birds. Then dressed for business and to the office to check the mail. Still no cheque returning the British Telecom funds from de Zoete, but I did get refunds from British Telecom for the two applications on behalf of myself and Diana - £24,600 each from our original application deposits of £25,000. Out to St Neots and to turn Diana’s cheque into a form payable to my bank account by paying it into the Abbey National and withdrawing savings almost equivalent to me from the Abbey and Gateway. What complicated rules these higher interest building society accounts have. You get the higher interest by ‘nominally’ giving 90 days’ notice of withdrawal, or the same period’s loss of interest. But above a resulting balance of £10,000 this doesn’t apply and money can be instantly withdrawn. This is up to £20,000 a day (from Gateway) and provided that a working week has passed (7 banking days from Gateway) since the un-cleared cheque was deposited. Then £500 has to remain in the account excluding un-cleared effects. For all this you get about 8 ½ % (net of 30% tax which is about 12% gross). Eventually I achieve the result of using these received funds to offset a more expensive Barclays Bank overdraft by calling to pay them in. Off then by car down the A1 to Stevenage, but, arriving late and not wishing to run past the ticket collector again, I drove on to London and took the tube to Piccadilly, parking at Burnt Oak station to avoid the Jubilee/Metropolitan lines, still blocked from yesterday’s tube accident.
I found The Cabin restaurant in Air Street off of Piccadilly and Martin Isherwood was there to welcome me. I had not met him since Intertechnique 16 years ago and we spent two hours reminiscing and hearing how one-another’s careers had developed. Martin could hardly believe my success and had still thought of me as a ‘back room’ boy, but was impressed with my industry efforts and wanted to help. I put him in touch with Nigel Smith and John Lamb and he may find a role for the BMMG press conference in the New Year. After a good lunch I left him and returned by tube. On the way I noticed an attractive young blonde with miniskirt and affection for her boyfriend, enhanced by their mutually being flushed with either excitement or alcohol. Also to find out her name was Daniella, which is the first time I have heard anyone called that but our baby girl. Eventually to Burnt Oak and by car out of London and up the A1 to arrive at Nigel Smith’s house at 5.15pm. A long session struggling to get out some draft ideas for editing the BMMG/LAN report, and copy for a press release publicising the seminar and covering letters to sponsors and interested participants. Then, a little late, quickly back by car to Lt Paxton School and, meeting Diana there, we saw the school play. The theme was children’s stories set to music – both nursery rhymes and carols – with the children smartly dressed in all sorts of costumes. We thoroughly enjoyed it and saw Debbie dressed as an angel. Home in late evening to a cold house. I had no chance to light a log fire tonight and also had to forego feeding the ducks and pigeons. Diana prepared me a couple of hamburgers and I watched the evening news. The TUC are trying to get miners talks going again and the discontents continue to rise to speak in the House of Commons. The large pile-up accidents in the fog continue with some pop stars injured in a coach crash. The last three refugees leave the British Embassy in South Africa and are immediately arrested on charges of sedition and treason, which is a terrible thing for political opponents to apartheid. The £200,000 fine from the TGWU is to be obtained by the Queen’s Remembrancer rather than sequestration, which is cheaper and less controversial, as it means that the union can continue to function. The NUM legal moves, however, continue to include receivership and the government were criticised in the Commons yesterday for interfering, by means of guaranteeing sequestration fees, in the process of civil law. The weather continues cold, but the barometer falls steadily and warmer depressions will return soon. We go to bed feeling cold from lack of fire and thoughts of my day awaken my interest in Diana. We then fall to sleep quite warm enough.