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By train and taxi for a full day of London Stockbroker, industry and DTI meetings and press lunch interview with Jane Bird of the Sunday Times with the DTI/LAN proposals gains momentum as the IBM/BT proposal falters as cracks begin to show among the Tories on unemployment
Awake fairly early and time enough to read the F.T. before washing and dressing for breakfast. Melon, apple juice and toast, and the family in reasonable order for once. I rush off for the 8.02 train from St Neots to London and the chance to catch up on some reading and prepare my thoughts for the day. At Kings Cross, I stop for a coffee at the Bistro and study my genealogy notes to realise what indexing and analysis they now need. A quick phone call to Nicholas de Zoete to warn him of my impending arrival and also a call to Modus to try to ascertain the meeting arrangements for DTI/LAN. Then, after a look through the book stall, off by tube to Moorgate, and No 25 Finsbury Circus to meet Nicholas. He accepts a simple £4,500 cheque for the T & S Stores placing despite the more onerous payment requests; then gives me my portfolio valuations which are most interesting. A brief chance to push around some suggested buys before we party. By taxi to Great Portland Street and the offices of Omicron to meet Ron Sandford, a co-founder of the software company. A rather cold start (he is also in the CAS and a committee member) but, after explaining the BMMG’s plans, he warms to the idea of membership and I think will support it and eventually join. On by taxi again to a restaurant called ‘VATS’ at Lamb’s Conduit Street by appointment at 12.30 to meet Sunday Times Computer Correspondent, Jane Bird, for lunch. An interesting and lively interview and I have to part hurriedly for my next appointments.
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Drive to Manchester for a struggling Federation of Microsystems Centres steering committee meeting and then back for key press interviews with a possible victory against IBM/BT on the cards the judiciary fines Scargill and the NUM and the Tories excel at conference stage management which bodes ill for the future in my view
An early start, in view of the day ahead and awake at 6.30am for morning tea. A quick wash, dress and bowl of sugar puffs and, after 10 mins scan of this morning’s Financial Times, off by car to the north. A long drive up the A1 and across the M62 noting at the junction of the two an inordinate amount of activity with an open cast coal mine at Pontefract frenetically loading coal lorries to try to beat the miner’s strike. Eventually traffic delays and congestion meant I was a half hour late for my 10.00am Federation of Microsystem Centres steering committee meeting. A difficult morning with a tired David Fairbairn in the chair churning laboriously through the problems of trying to run a Federation to public objectives without the necessary funding. For some reason I had not received the meeting’s papers as well which made my contribution difficult from the far end of the table. A better buffet lunch with news exchanged on BT/IBM where hope expressed of stopping the venture. The long haul by car back, arriving after 5.00pm, but in time to return calls to the Sunday Times and Computer Weekly and fit in a lunch interview tomorrow. Horror at finding that Diana had left the ducks locked up in their hutch all day. At the Tory Conference, announcements on increased penalties for drug trafficking and limited funding to track its abuse – but fringe meetings feel that the funding is only a beginning. In the economic ‘debate’ a speech by Nigel Lawson was unopposed with no wet voices raised against; and Fowler’s health speech only had a few minor contributors. In all the conference is an orchestrated PR exercise with genuine debate excluded by careful speech screening and stage management. What a disaster will eventually come out of this phenomenon – spine chilling in its suppression!
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Trip down memory lane to my childhood haunts in Essex to see Chris Towers of Selven as the Tory conference continues its divisive policies whilst industrial unrest ferments on but Gina Campbell survives a Bluebird crash very similar to that which killed her father
A struggle to get going again, but good chance to read today’s Financial Times. Up, dressed, after a shower and hair wash, and off at 9.15 by car in search of Witham Essex. A 10.30am appointment with Selven co-founder Chris Towers and I was only about 10 mins late in the end. A two hour discussion for me to hear of the establishment and growth of this software company and them to hear of the BMMG’s expansion into the software field and of our present initiatives and efforts. Selven Systems first made a payroll product but have extended into general accounting systems as well as stock control packages. Their staff of 17 support some customisation from what are essentially standard packages. Chris is concerned at the market-led hardware approach to industry innovation and looks for less hype and more strategic development in the future. By 12.30pm, away and onward for a drive through the familiar countryside of my youth. The market town of Chelmsford, now bisected by congested ring roads, but still retaining its livestock and retail markets. The weir of Battlesbridge. My former Sweyne secondary school at Rayleigh – visually unchanged these last twenty years.
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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.