The Big Bang City of London revolution and end of the Labour Conference with Arthur Scargill prominent as I get wind of a possible anti IBM/BT victory with a reported OFTEL rejection of it as IT Minister Sir Geoffrey Pattie agrees to meet me and the Canadian newspapers insult Her Majesty the Queen before an evening supervising Debbie’s writing exercises and Daniel’s homework
A lay in and chance to read The Financial Times and Investor’s Chronicle where further evidence of the revolution in the City. Some call it ‘The Big Bang’ as Merchant Bankers, Stockbrokers, Jobbers and Clearing Banks jockey for position, merger and reorganise. City Partners realise large amounts of capital and ‘six-figure’ salaries, whilst also being retained by the ‘golden handcuffs’ of time-related realisation of the cash. Breakfast of toast, fruit juice and tea and then a scramble to wash and dress to arrive at the office by at least 9.30am. A quiet morning and chance to read the Computer News and Electronics Weekly that arrived under their own steam for once. Also the Daily EIU news bulletins in backlog and range of correspondence. Most notable was the reply from the new Minister of State for Industry and Information Technology, Geoffrey Pattie, who agrees to a meeting.
I call the secretariat and give instructions for arranging it – on 7th November with a members Breakfast Meeting to precede it. Phone calls to Helen Gibbons, Nigel Smith, Bill Unsworth and John Lamb on BMMG business and, as the day progressed, telephone interviews with Which Computer, The Guardian and The Sunday Times – all on BT/IBM. The speculation is growing that the licence may be refused and that OFTEL have come out against; which would be a welcome, but unlikely miracle. Later in the afternoon to type out a few letters and finish the completion of qualified circulation cards for the journals I do not receive. I put the office to bed, backing up cassettes and disks and setting the telephone answering machine before home to tea. Pork chops etc and fruit to follow. In early evening to supervise Deborah’s writing exercises and Daniel’s homework before settling down to write up the last 3/4 days journal. News of the end of the Labour Party Conference with a reasonable outcome, no settlement in the pits strike as all parties commence a weekend of negotiations, and another legal attack on Arthur Scargill. He has dominated this conference and won massive support. In the River Crouch in Essex, a massive £10 million drugs haul as seven men and a blonde woman are arrested on board a yacht. In Canada the Queen has run into very discourteous treatment from certain newspapers reporting expressions of fatigue and disinterest, which infuriate the people of this country at any rate. The end of a cold and windy day with rain downpours causing some flooding in the South East.