Morning of a fine and sunny day tending the ducks, doves and family and then lunch with John Lamb to hear lamentable news about Comart and Kode before a traumatic tea with misbehaving Debbie as sequestrators pursue the NUM and Chile represses any dissent
Awake to an aching back, which I decide is due to all that ladder lifting! A consoling cup of tea and, driven to the toilet, I collect The Financial Times from the front door for myself. An early-ish breakfast – toast is back in stock again and the normal apple juice to accompany it. I weighed 13st 6lbs this morning, only 1lb down on my weight when I started trying to cut back. Diana cut my hair after breakfast and I celebrated the event by washing it and my hair brush thoroughly, as both had been very oily lately. Washed, shaved and dressed, then I set up shop in the lounge babysitting whilst Diana took Daniel’s bike to be fixed. I had the radio phone to hand in order to still take calls from the office. I wrote a two page letter to my sister Freda, trying to point out some of the pitfalls of her cottage letting idea. Diana returned to help me finish it and make a cup of coffee. After 10.00am out with ladder to clean and feed the pigeons. Fascinated to see them overcome their shyness of the nest boxes – at one time there were three in a single one. The returned Blue is trying to get back the Blonde Qualmond after his sortie and by the end of the day seemed to have succeeded.
Then to try to feed the ducks, but the Gardener had already let them out. The flood water had receded and I spent the next half hour clearing the mud sediment from the landing stages with broom and spade. Finally to the office to interrogate the Prestel investment services, but only general news on British Telecom, perhaps some 2 ½ times oversubscribed. Calls to ICL to pursue talks at their invitation and to NEDO on Hobby Micro committee representation. A few items of mail to attend to and bills to pay. Eventually agreed to meet John Lamb of Comart at The Rocket for a lunchtime drink. A couple of pints of shandy, cashew nuts and a fine dish of stuffed mushrooms. News of continued disorganisation in the Kode Group, which is a pity, and Comart is finding the market hard going with other British microcomputer manufacturers. I express my hope that Kode strengthens its Board of Directors and expectation that things will come good in the longer term. Back home to spend a restless afternoon watching televised snooker, reading natural history books and eventually going out to tend the birds. A traumatic tea, sending an errant Deborah to bed without tea (then reading her stories). News tonight of the High Court tracking down most of the NUM’s funds offshore. It is frozen, but presently out of the sequestrators reach in Zurich and the USA. In a bizarre incident writs were served on the NUM leaders outside the TUC and were tossed out of the car doors to the glee of the curious reporters there. The TUC today launches a new drive for negotiations after 4 weeks break in the talks. Students, protesting over grant cuts, besieged Westminster today, marching and handing in petitions after Downing Street refused to take in their protest letters. Announcements today of the cut backs in regional development grants from £700M to £400M/year, with changes to the qualifying areas. Stories of riot and civil unrest in Chile as the repressive regime reacts harshly to dissent. The weather today has been fine and sunny, but the weathermen are still persisting with their predictions of rain to come.