Visit to London by train to join a valued customer as a special guest for their press launch of their new name and then progress my family history research after some tense Comart meetings in the wake of management failings as 20,000 miners lose their jobs and strikes continue in Yorkshire and Scotland
On time to the office and a few irritable meetings before rushing down to Stevenage to catch the London train. First, I review the Cambridge Health debacle with David Fear then the recruitment of a maintenance assistant with Derek Morgan. I catch a satisfactory train and use the journey to catch up on some reading and restore my temper. A short tube ride to Covent Garden and walk to the offices of a key customer, Redland Construction Software. They have previously bought over 100 Communicator Micros and had invited me to a press reception to mark their change of name from Gangnail Software. A good session with many fine compliments made about the computers and good relationships reinforced.
On by tube to St Catherines House in Aldwych and there to try to trace John Broad (Jnrs) remarriage to a Sarah in the period 1855-70. I obtain a list of ten candidates but am not sure it is included amongst them. Home with relief by train to Stevenage and by car to the office where, after picking up my in-tray papers, I arrive home quite early. A series of phone calls this evening from David Fear on Cambridge Health and a Canadian prospect, and then to the prospect and also to Geoff Lynch of Xitan to ensure his commitment in carrying it through. A better end to a tense day as I watch the Liverpool Soccer team beat Benfica 1-0 in a European Cup quarter final. News today that over 20,000 miners are to lose their jobs in 10 pit closures over the next year and voluntary redundancy payments of £1000 are to be offered to anyone over 21 years. Also of continued strikes in Yorkshire and Scotland. Whilst in Liverpool, the campaign to keep up the new local government expenditure budget seems bound to fail over Labour councillor defections. Today the government only won a vote to increase lorry speed limits on dual carriageways after several Tory abstentions and one vote against. Mondale has lost his third U.S. primary to Hart and seems defeated. Today Redland succeeded in losing my hat which was rather upsetting.