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To Putney for ICL meeting to oppose the IBM/BT deal before an evening preparing my NCC paper
I set off by car to Putney in good time for my meeting with ICL. I drove to Putney Bridge and arrived by 10.30, which gave a further 30 mins to prepare. I was well received by Rob Willmott and Roger Holmes and we compared notes on the IBM/BT issue with much common accord. I undertook to try to mobilise the press. I also took them through the latest aspects of the Duty issue and Rob promised his renewed action and support, and I lastly pressed briefly the case for membership of the BMMG, which they will now consider.
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Long day travelling to The London Press Club and a leading contribution to the National Computing Centre’s advisory committee to agree a successful outcome of opposing the BT/IBM plan before negotiating a preferential deal for the BMMG at BIT85
Up a little too late at 7.45am after a late night completing my NCC advisory paper on action over the IBM/BT licence. I had completed a beautifully laid out treatise when my printer ribbon expired and I was left high and dry. Only use of multiple carbons and the suppression of the printer’s natural defence mechanism succeeded in saving the day. David Fear joined me at the end of an alcoholic evening and added his praise to the final result. So this morning, a rush to down a plate of cereal, to get washed and dressed then, off by car to Huntingdon train station for the 8.41am to London arriving at Kings Cross station on time by 9.25am. A quick tube to Farringdon and brisk walk to the Press Club Library, arriving by about 9.50am and before the business had started.
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Cooler, rainier and windier Autumnal day in my home office working on the BMMG annual report and harnessing ICL to oppose the BT/IBM initiative as Mum and Dad visit
A good night’s sleep and we wake to rain and wind with the realisation that the heatwave has well and truly broken and the breezier weather set in. Across, after breakfast, with Daniel to our office in the old house and there to sort out my papers whilst Daniel works away at his long division tutorial. He and his friends think I am hard to interrupt his holiday so, but it is only for a couple of hours a morning and he needs to improve to get off the bottom of his class. Everything soon sorted out and work started on typing and printing my August 1984 BMMG report and letters to the Chairman and Secretary to cover it. I have suggested circulation with the Council Meeting Agenda and inclusion in the newsletter. By the time we had lunch and finished them, my parents had arrived and Daniel biked off to St Neots to post my letters first class, whilst Diana and I gave them afternoon tea and chatted.
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A damp night of cabin roof leaks in the heavy rain as the drought ended before a walk and shop around Godmanchester and then a windy cruise home to find and enjoy our new Croquet set from Harrods as the TUC resolves to support the miners
After we had gone to our bunks last night a big thunder storm had broken. First the distant rumbling sounds and oppressively warm air, then the bright flashes of lightening and eventually the overhead combination of the two. Next the torrential rain starting with the individual and large rain drops that beat an increasing tattoo on the marine mahogany roof of The Lady. The rain gradually searched out the vulnerable joints of the old craft and it was Diana’s turn to get wet feet by the end of the night.