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Morning clearing mail and meeting Export IT to arrange to Chair their Conference in February, afternoon in Executive Review meetings and late home to hear news of 3,500 planned redundancies at British Rail workshops and 2,000 more at Fords in Dagenham as Thatcher dismantles the manufacturing industry and the Foreign Secretary is in Syriafor Middle east talks
On time to the office and first to draft urgent correspondence and clear the mail. Then to meet Ian and review a number of personnel issues before the arrival of Mr Cooke of Export IT. A long morning discussing industry policy and the role of government and finally ordering the proceedings for the conference session I am due to chair on February 14th next. An interesting morning that ended with his departure for Huntingdon. Lunch of sandwiches and water and after a series of review meetings with David Fear, Carlton Lowe, Derek Morgan, Ian Nickson and Derek Weatherby, to obtain an update on the working priorities and achievements.
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Day of personnel matters, interviews and attending to myself as the car is services and the dentist gives me news of three fillings being needed as the drier and milder weather makes the house hot
On time to the office and first to wade through all of the group expenses, upset as normal by the few that were not properly completed. I am getting a stickler in my old age! – but it is so important to do things properly and get them right first time. Then to quickly touch base with Peter King about interview preparations and then off at 9.00 to town to drag the Rover off for repair and on to Dr Osborne the dentist for a check-up. He pronounces three fillings are needed (which is all I want) and a return date is arranged for the deed to be done.
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I cancel NCC meeting to manage company administration and facilities whilst organising my next two-weeks diary as my family recover their health but Sterling falls to a new low due to the Miners Industrial unrest and cruise missile security leaks worry investors. The Prince and Princess of Wales are a wow on their travels and talks to end conflict in the Lebanon continue
Up and about early and after a quick read of the paper and bite to eat of toast and apple juice, off to the office to arrive before 8.00am. First to tour the building and switch on the heaters in the portakabins. I noticeably achieve this as Derek stays in his own office and misses the chance. Soon all offices are beginning to warm up on this very cold morning. I cancel my appointment at the NCC Microcomputer Advisory Meeting today and spend almost the entire day on the Company Books working well into the evening until the task is finished. I broke off today only to organise with June my appointments for the next couple of weeks and with Peter King to discuss the plans for coping with Coventry’s resignation in Glasgow.
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Morning reading and then afternoon attending to Company Administration before the evening addressing the Comart Group Sales Conference at The Brampton Hotel before hosting the dinner
A normal Sunday lay in, reading The Economist and Sunday Times but up and to breakfast earlier than usual and after a hair wash and shower. Off to the office to start a process of company administration – the entire group’s statutory books need a Register of Seals created and brought up to date for all usages. Home to lunch of pork and back quickly again to the office to list all of the known occasions from the files that the seals have been used. A long job lasting until early evening where the task has to rest. Home to change quickly and up by car to the Brampton Hotel where a Comart training course is taking place.
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Family visit and shopping trip to Cambridge before Cambridge City football defeat as the South Africans and Russians fight over Angola and Tony Benn tried to get a by-election seat
A lay in before breakfast of toast and fruit juice and the morning Times Newspaper. A romp with Debbie in the lounge before I persuade Di to have a hair wash and Debbie and Dan a bath. When all washed and dressed off by car towards Cambridge, stopping at the Little Chef for lunch. After I drop Di and Debbie off at her parent’s house in Bar Hill, Daniel and I to Cambridge town centre and The Cambridge Computer Store to buy another BBC micro game tape “Mission Control.” The other half of the bargain is then performed as Daniel joins me for a trip to Cambridge United Football Ground.