Day in London addressing the ECIF, negotiating with PA and Kode about their prospective purchase of Comart after being distracted by family history research and then analysing the Budget ready for my press Interviews before returning home to building chaos
Up early and, after a quick slice or two of toast, off to St Neots railway station to catch the 7.20 to King Cross. A full train and so I move to first class accommodation planning to pay the excess but no ticket collector arrived. By tube to Aldwych and spent 8.30 - 11.00 searching the Death Indexes at the Registry; and apply for the death certificates for Merab Broad and what could be John Broad Snr. Also a multiple search to try to find details of John Broad Junior’s marriage to Sarah. On by taxi to arrive at the Hotel for the ECIF semiconductor group, and after a wait for 30 mins drinking coffee, to address them on behalf of the BMMG and answer questions. A good buffet lunch to follow in good and attentive company before walking to Victoria Station to call the office. Only then to realise that I had forgotten my next appointment with P.A. and the Kode executives; so I get June to phone ahead, catch a quick taxi and arrive only 30 min late at 3.30pm somewhat unprepared. A good two hour meeting. In essence we discuss a purchase of Comart in three stages of £1M each as the business generates the profit and they go off to put a proposal together.
Home by train and the house by 8.00pm. The house still in complete disorder with builders, decorators and the gardener still unfinished. I had stopped by the office to collect my mail and spent the late evening digesting the Budget, reading my papers and preparing comments for tomorrow’s Press Interviews. The interesting announcements are the elimination of Life Assurance Premium taxation relief, reduction of Corporation Tax by stages over the next three years which both seem to signal a concentration on Industrial Investment. Also the change of rules on the VAT tax payments on imports must help the British Manufacturer and the abolition of the remaining National Income Surcharge can only help employment.