Chairing a micro-computer industry BMMG breakfast meeting before meeting top level DTI micro policy makers and agreeing the goal of us proposing and then them financing standardisation for Local Area Networks before an afternoon off researching family history as the Times and GCHQ disputes drag on.
An exceptionally early start and to catch the 6.57 train from St Neots to London. By tube to The St Ermine’s Hotel and to chair a two hour breakfast meeting of the BMMG. A hectic agenda with much to review and decide. We agree to hold the exploratory talks with UKITO and much else besides. With haste and late to the DTI for a meeting with John Foote IT Technical Committee and Secretary of FOCUS, Di Davis IT Standards and Manager of the LAN Unit ( on secondment from BT), Andrew Gillee IT Technical Unit who works for John Foote, Bander Keep who works for Tony Keston and Keston’s Boss Andrew Dogood who has taken over from Bill Wigglesworth. A very senior and influential group. We talk long for two hours and agree the advisability and necessity of creating and standardising low cost Local Area Networks for Microcomputers. It seems that if the BMMG propose a standard and work on a specification, the DTI will provide a deal of finance.
In the afternoon I forsake work and taxi to Bermondsey to follow the trail of John Broad. First to The Town Hall, then the local reference library where I learn something of the history and origin of the place. Then to the Local History Library in Southwark for marriage details and lastly to the GLC History Library in Northampton Road and there to study until 7.30pm at night. I cannot say that I have found John Broad Snr. but I have learnt a lot about the Broad families in the area in the 18th Century. I now need to return to Watford for more clues to work on. There was no Times Newspaper published again today with four issues and the Sunday Times lost. Late night talks resumed. News tonight of two policemen being killed by a land mine in Ireland. Also the government is to wipe out the Scott Lithgow debts if a private concern takes it over. Lastly Thatcher has refused to accept a no-strike deal at GCHQ in return for not banning unions which I think will be too extreme a stance. The weather today has been clear this morning but rain had set in by tonight. A little late to bed after an exhausting day.