- Details
Cambridge shopping trip with the Diana and meal at The Copper Kettle and then to check on The Lady at Buckden as a huge LPG explosion in San Juanico,Mexico, kills hundreds and more miners return to work
Slept well and woke to my morning tea. Persuaded a reluctant Deborah to bring my Financial Times and read most of it by breakfast. A meal of melon and the last of my natural honeycomb on toast before up to wash, shave and dress. Out in old clothes to change the dove’s food and water and check their pairings and ring numbers. It seems that the Blue cock has paired with the Blonde Qualmonde hen; the elder Dilute Indigo cock with the Grizzle hen and the young Dilute Indigo cock with its sister hen:- all exactly as the previous owner and breeder had predicted! Then to the riverside to feed the ducks before an hour and a half I the office sorting papers and returning calls. No post of note today. Then away to Cambridge with Diana and a salad roll and coffee lunch at ‘The Copper Kettle’ before round town to shop.
- Details
Day in London with the NCC micro advisory committee and my private stockbroker as Martin Banks finds a publisher for me to co-write a micro history with him as record numbers of miners drift back to work and the great Mars Bar poison was a hoax
An early call and brief chance to scan the morning paper before a toast and honey breakfast. A quick wash and shave (I having had a bath and hair wash yesterday evening) then dressed ready to set off. A cold and foggy morning and dull day. To St Neots railway station where I catch the 8.02am London train and spend the journey reading up on past minutes and reports of the NCC. From Kings Cross to Holborn by underground and then to walk a fair way along High Holborn to New Feather Lane and the NCC Building. A number of interesting Building Society Branches along High Holborn and I undertake to pop in on the way back to compare the rates. There is no longer a standard interest rate and you have to keep abreast of the best investment deals. I arrive at the NCC in time for the 9.30am Microcomputer Advisory Committee Meeting and enjoy a long but involved meeting on standard software environments, Export Systems, Microsystem centre activities and also on industry policy. On this latter point I am offered a joint meeting with NCC Director, David Fairbairn and Salford Vice Chancellor (and NEDO/NCC Chairman) Prof John Ashworth, to prepare for the PITCOM debate next month. We also exchange views on the BT/IBM rejection and remain friendly.
- Details
Day at home tending the doves and welcoming Daniel’s visitors as the great poisoned Mars Bar hunt continues and the Irish Premier flies to Chequers for talks with Thatcher about the Anglo/Irish future agreement
A sound night’s sleep and then morning tea and The Sunday Times for a while. A super breakfast, which I always enjoy, and then back to bed to complete my reading. I have studied several separate accounts of the British Telecom share sale and all seem to recommend buying with a fair premium for stays on the first day’s trading. Eventually, I get up in late morning, shave and dress in my old coat and hat and set out in the morning mist and damp to put the ladder up and see the doves. They are faring well despite this terrible weather and I clean them out, replace their food and fit the new water dispenser. They start feeding straight away and seem in good health. I also let out the ducks and cleaned them out for the first time in a while, replacing their litter with fresh straw. Back inside to lunch and a good one of turkey, broccoli and gravy with cake to follow. Daniel and his guest for the weekend, David, finish theirs, but Debbie is still eating little through having her cold. My own cold and cough continues after what seems an age.
- Details
Cold and wet day playing tending the ducks and doves and playing with the children as Thatcher cancels her Irish trip and Animal Rights Groups poison Mars bars
A slight lay in and then relieved to see that Daniella had safely seen the night through with her heavy cold. A long read in bed of The Financial Times and several items of mail before breakfast of honey and toast and wash and dress. Slightly disappointed that my weight had risen above 13 ½ stones again. Out in the morning cold and drizzle to clean out the doves and change their water and seed. I also pushed them into the pigeon holes to try to get them dry and warm. They are now completing the second of three weeks of confinement and acclimatisation. I also feed the ducks before we welcome the arrival of Daniel’s old friend, David Tomblin. Father John brings him up from St Albans and leaves him for the weekend. Off together to St Neots and a short time for shopping. I pay my £1,000 British Petroleum half year dividend into the Abbey National Building Society and have time to find a food dispenser for the doves in the St Neots arcade pet shop. Off then to collect Daniel from school (where he shows David around before we leave) and Debbie from a friend’s house after ballet. We drive on to The Happy Eater for lunch and drop back into St Neots afterwards to let the children spend their pocket money. An afternoon at home, Daniel and David playing with the computer and me playing alternately with them and Debbie.