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Collecting Diana and Daniella from hospital on a very hot day and enjoying our first meal together as a family as four Nigerians are detained for the ‘diplomatic box kidnapping’
I had set the alarm radio to awaken me much later but Daniel and Deborah came in and woke me up and so I sent them off to get a cup of tea for me! We laid up for breakfast and ate cereal and toast and after we washed up and tidied the house in anticipation of Diana’s return home today. Daniel off to school and then Debbie and I let out the ducks and wash the eggs. Off to the factory to sort through the mail and take out the journals and personally addressed letters, and then on to Huntingdon and Hinchinbrook Hospital.
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Further day of press and radio interviews, child care and progressing Grove House tidiness as the Bank rate rises to a very round 10%
I had set the clock alarm for 6.30am this morning but I was still too tired to get up on time. Eventually I struggle down to prepare a morning drink for us all and then a breakfast of cereal and toast for me. The customary struggle to get washed, dressed and ready before Daniel off by bicycle and dropping Debbie off at the Little Paxton Primary School. To Grove House and to see very poor tidiness and housekeeping. The reception area is full of partial photocopies and empty folders, and in each room the new desks are upside down with the wrapping paper strewn all around. Up to my office and several journalist interviews by telephone: Personal Computer News, The Trader and then Cambridge Radio who arrange to return after lunch for a recorded interview.
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Managing the family, the company and the press hoards, all anxious to cover my story as the NUM and the NCB start talks at last and Thatcher postpones the GLC’s election
Awoken again by the alarm radio at 6.40 and too tired again to arise until 7.00, which meant a rush to get the family the morning drinks. The scramble continued to breakfast with children’s sensitivities ignored in a welter of corn flakes and satchels. Daniel by bus to Kimbolton for later collection and Debbie dropped off by car on the way to Grove House. At 9.00am an assessment of the priorities. A good story on the takeover in The Financial Times we received, and mentions in The Times, Guardian, Telegraph and Express. I telephoned Peter Smith and Stephen Day, reporting all Comart Groups staff informed, and congratulated them on their handling of the Financial Press. Then to sit down and take calls from the Computer Industry papers. We had mailed out 250+ releases yesterday and today was the first calls; Computing, Computer News, The Guardian, and several others. Then The Cambridge Evening News Business Editor for a long telephone interview and arrangement to meet in person on Monday morning.
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Hectic day combining fatherhood with the company sales aftermath but Diana and Daniella are doing well, though my Mum is admitted to hospital as the news is still full of the Miners’ dispute with lorries, now, moving the coal
Woken by the alarm radio but tired and reluctant to get up for 10 minutes. Down then to make the morning drinks and up again to sit in bed with Debbie and Daniel as we drink, wake up and talk about mum and the new baby. Debbie hears for the first time and is pleased that we have a daughter. Daniel helps me put out some clothes and they have their normal morning dressing race and then help prepare breakfast, which we eat together. I take Daniel to St Neots to catch the bus, drop Debbie off with a neighbour and race to Eaton Socon to review arrangements for the day. An immense schedule of press mailings, meetings, arrangements, was dictated and written down and John Lamb, June Hamilton and I worked closely together to achieve the aim.