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Emptying Grove House of my papers and then a family trip to St Neots riverside park as the Miners’ and Dockworkers’ strike negotiations and the Falklands sovereignty talks break down and Britain has our largest earthquake for 100 years
Another lay in but up at 8.00am to make the drinks and then Diana made the breakfast and I got washed and dressed for work. To Grove House in time for coffee and then a mammoth effort to empty out one cabinet to pass to Derek Weatherby and to sort all paperwork into personal, BMMG and Comart papers. Later on John Lamb arrives and brings some new computer journals including front page coverage of our news in Microscope by Guy Kewney but, surprisingly, no mention in Computer Weekly at all. A meeting with Derek Weatherby to insist on the completion of the group’s budgets before the handover, then off to lunch with John Lamb to discuss the business and my own future microcomputer needs.
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Family visit to the East of England Show to see the heavy horses as Channel Ports are blockaded by lorry drivers and talks are started with little hope of success
A fair lay in this morning after an unsettled night. The weather continuing dull but humid and warm. Eventually Daniel and Debbie start the process of making the morning drinks and I rose to complete the process. Breakfast of toast, cereal and fruit juice and we all wash and dress which, considering the household chores and the time needed to feed Daniella, takes us until 10.00am to complete. Then all off together in our new Jaguar to the East of England Show with the air conditioning keeping us all cool and relaxed in the humid air. A lot of traffic and record attendances which were not put off by the occasional showers.
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Collecting my new Jaguar and visiting ICL’s MD Rob Wilmot to discuss Industry affairs at his riverside home on the Thames as mortgage rates near 13%and Thatcher faces criticism in the House of Commons over her treatment of GCHQ staff
Up whist the children were laying the table and down for a breakfast of cereal, toast and apple juice. Eventually to get washed and dressed after Diana cut my hair and I shampooed it. Off to Grove House and a morning reviewing the mail, dictating my urgent correspondence and talking to the other principal executives. It seems that we should meet our end June Profit Forecasts to hold them at about £545K whilst building up the balance sheet with admirable reserves. The Rouge Dragon Persuivant reports that the Garter King of Arms has passed back the arms with acceptance of the shield but querying the similarity of the Heron holding a pheon to other arms with a Stork holding an anchor. I should hear in a couple of weeks and they would ask the heraldic artist to produce line drawings with colours if required.
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More time looking after the family and monitoring the Press coverage of my sale and retirement, buying a new bike for Daniel for being helpful, as the High Court decided that the Government’s banning of Trade Unions at GCHQ was unlawful
A lay in until 7.30am and then I made the morning drinks whilst Diana completed Daniella’s second feed of the night. After breakfast, Daniel and I take Debbie to school then I take the car to Little End Road. Further press comment in the computer journals, mostly favourable, and I am pleased with the interpretation the industry is putting on my plans. Congratulatory phone calls from other BMMG council members before telephoning Brian George, Manager of Barclays Bank , and Marshalls of Cambridge, to complete the arrangements for collecting my new Jaguar tomorrow at 2.30pm. I also spend time with June Hamilton and John Lamb drafting and amending the notice to Profit Sharing Scheme members and also preparing the last minutes of Comart Director’s meetings.