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Cold and drizzly day moored on The Lady in St Ives shopping, eating swimming and boat cleaning as seamen are reluctant to move tankers in The Gulf
Awake at 6.00m to a cold and drizzly morning and was eventually tempted out of bed in time for a breakfast of toast, butter, marmalade and tea. The rain continued as we donned our waterproof boating garb and wellington boots and trudged up to St Ivo swimming pool. Diana sat the visit out but the rest of us enjoyed a good swim between leisurely sessions of hot drinks and snacks in the bar. Back to the boat deciding to stay in St Ives for tomorrow’s market and Diana cooked us a fine lunch of sausages, peas and new potatoes with a jam pie and cream to follow, which I overeat. This active and open atmosphere gives you a strong appetite.
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Cruising from Godmanchester to St Ives on The Lady on a rainy day as the heightening conflict in the Gulf between Iran and Iraq ends up with 6 more tankers attacked at Karg Island and Kode PLC shares fall 10p on the stock exchange on this news and continued fears of an American banking crisis.
Awake at six o’clock and the first to do so, the family sleeping very well. Diana up to get drinks and prepare breakfast whilst I stay in my sleeping bag with my brief case and Comart Board papers to read. Eventually up and to breakfast on a cold and dull day. The night had seen a few light showers but, as the day passed, the rain became more and more incessant until evening ended with a veritable downpour with us snuggled under coats with hot water bottles reading books and magazines.
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Meetings resisting Kode calls for full warranties, administrating Grove House purchase and preparing and circulating Comart Board papers before home early to set off on The Lady for the weekend on a damp evening as business sentiment is also dampened by the Gulf War and Miner’s strike
Awake on time though tired from yesterday’s tensions and time to read today’s Times quite well. News also of yesterday’s stock exchange falls and the reasons for it. Up to a breakfast of toast and fruit juice and rather late to the office, arriving a few minutes after 8.30am. To my office and to relax with some management readings awaiting, for once, developments to occur and standing by accordingly. The first was the arrival of Stephen Day together with Peat Marwick’s George and the Kode Company Secretary. They try to get me to accept that their merchant bank are insisting on full warranties, but I fail to rise to the bait and ask to defer judgement until legal advice is at hand to me. Later they also try to get me to defer the Grove House acquisition which I also successfully resist.
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Progressing Grove House move for the Comart Group Head office and hearing of Sales team disquiet under David Fear before we load up The Lady with provisions as Gulf Oil tanker attacks and US banking worries lead to stock exchange crashes in the UK and US
Up on time after a sound night’s sleep and down to breakfast with Daniel and Debbie. Debbie seemed better after her sickness yesterday with her catarrh clearing up reasonably. To the office and to see Leslie and review the plans for office furniture, power and telephone point locations and to put some priority into her efforts to try to get us into the new Grove House premises by 1st June. Then the morning’s mail and after to talk at some length to David Barford about the results of yesterday’s structural survey and the fact that we would need the brickwork repointing, certain gutters fitted, the car park gulleys provided and the roof timbers secured with wrought iron brackets. Also we would need a defects liability clause through next winter to cover any problems that are likely to arise. He seemed agreeable to these proposals and we arranged to meet later on. Then to call Richard James to review the results of yesterday’s legal meeting with Mr Randall, Senior Partner of Townsends and Chairman of Kode.