A day planning some future outings and some investments as the computer press keep contacting about signs of the IBM/BT deal being called off and the Clergy and the Tories are at odds over policies that divide society as political developments in South Africa also make the headlines
A slow start to the day and some difficulty getting going. Melon, toast and fruit juice for breakfast and, after a quick wash and dress, I take Deborah to school. A poor post this morning and quiet early morning in the office with the accessories before calls from Computing and Computer Weekly on the BT/IBM licence and BMMG/DTI LAN initiative. I find my 1985 diary and updated both this and my Executel phone diary in line with it. Over coffee, Diana and I agree to go shopping in Bedford next Tuesday and lunch together on her birthday the following day. We also decide to go to Brighton Hove for a couple of days at Daniel’s half term holiday and I book a family room at the Alexandra Hotel. Lunch of ham and bread rolls and an afternoon/early evening of typing BMMG correspondence.
By 5.00pm Diana has collected my PO Box 7 mail from the Post Office and amongst it are all manner of action items. Nick de Zoete phones today and persuades me to buy £4000 worth of shares in T&S Stores on a private placing at 90p. A tea of chicken and an evening of writing my journal and television. News today of The Archbishop of Canterbury criticising the government for pursuing divisive and polarising policies, and Thatcher also runs into a poorer opinion poll. The Conservative politicians tonight react angrily to the clerical criticisms. Also today ACAS involvement was agreed for the coal unions and meetings will take place next Thursday. The weather today of fresh breeze, but milder as the day wore on. In South Africa, the British Embassy are strongly advising the Durban political refugees to leave even though three colleagues were immediately arrested when they did. Two British seamen were killed in a sunken oil tanker at Kory terminal when an Iraqi exocet was fired.