Working on the gardens at Willow Close
Working on the gardens at Willow Close

Hot and Sunny office day following up on financial and company disposal plans and hearing of Kode’s EGM which approved the takeover before an evening working in the garden with Daniel and his friend Paul as the Dock strike seems to be resolved.

 

The normal morning routine then to the office for 9.45 in time for coffee. No further computer magazines with any coverage and no further journalists phone calls. I just have time to dictate a variety of correspondence before Brian George and John Vernon of Barclays Bank arrive. Brian is the local St Neots Branch Manager and John the Cambridge Manager of the investment department. They are keen to be taking instructions on the care of my £1.8M cash and even keener to receive the money by wired transfer next Friday and hence consolidate it into the branch’s end of month figures!

The Banks investment activity is well connected and conservatively run and will probably get a proportion of the sum if I opt not to personally follow my investee companies progress and wish to delegate it. I then wait until 12.55am and, not having heard, phone Kode to see what had transpired at their EGM. Peter Smith is out at lunch but Stephen Day confirms that the resolution was duly passed with only one shareholder actually turning up. The Proxies received were all in favour and, after a few questions, our local Calne holder of 200+ shares agreed and the resolution was unanimous.

Off to the Bell for lunch and to find Derek Weatherby and Keith Cockran eating spare ribs. I join them and find the meal very nice. They have just finished the Comart Computers Results and are undertaking to complete the budgets by Wednesday to facilitate a Thursday Directors Meeting to approve them before the takeover. After lunch to Little End Road to see John Lamb and discuss the completion arrangements and compare notes on Kode’s intentions which appear to conflict and change with time. Then back to Little End Road to continue paperwork and discuss the same with Derek Weatherby.

An evening gardening and hoeing in the manure to the flower beds, whilst Daniel and Paul mowed the lawn. News tonight of the resolution of the dock strike and an agreed formula to be put to mass meetings on Sunday. Already Dover and Harwich are back to work in time for the car ferry rush and end of school holidays. The government are vilifying the miners’ union in every speech they make. The weather hot and sunny again.