Front page stories reporting my anti IBM/BT campaign and plans in progress for ministerial meeting as Comart plans to remember Melvin Grey and the UK struggles with industrial unrest and South Africa its racial riots
Up more slowly this morning and a good time reading The Financial Times in bed with my morning tea. Daniel starts a day of disasters by cycling off to St Neots and forgetting his bicycle lock. Diana manages to go and fit it by car, feed the baby whilst getting Deborah ready for school. I am across in my office by 9.00am and sorting out my mail and filing system. A procession of incoming phone calls as I am interviewed by Jane Bird, Computer Correspondent of The Sunday Times, and Mary Fagan, Computer Correspondent of Electronics Weekly. In both cases the main subject is the IBM/BT story, and I am also told that I am the lead story in Computing with photograph (though non receipt of computer papers still means I cannot personally follow them.) Calls also from Tony Keston of the DTI who confirms the new Minister has received my letter; from NEDO to ascertain some meeting dates; from Barclays to agree the terms and duration of my next treasury deposits; from the locksmith to arrange next Monday for a security survey and lock change, and from a number of others.
This afternoon I connect up a telephone extension lead and re-position the cordless telephone transmitter next to the window of my office at 39 Gordon Road. This now means I can take office calls on the remote handset more easily. Before the banks close I pay in a £1600 tax rebate cheque that I received today and stock up with cash. Nobody in St Neots seems to sell Brother Printer ribbons and print wheels and so I will have to get these tomorrow. Leslie Saunders drops round this evening to deliver yet another printer cable and sign me up to sponsor her for a 10 mile Grafham Water Sponsored Walk. It seems that Comart are doing it to collect Cancer Research money in memorial of Melvyn Grey, who died in June. News tonight of the breakdown in miners talks with the sides as far apart as ever on the question of pit closures. In Scotland the transport and steel unions decide to talk to the Port Authorities without the involvement of the Steel Board, and will resume tomorrow. In South Africa P W Botha was sworn in as the first State President to the accompaniment of armoured cars and security. But in the coloured townships the non-franchised blacks continued to protest and riot and the six Indian political refugees in the British Embassy will not be expelled. The weather today was a mixture of sun and heavy showers and my pond and fish were much refreshed.