A difficult morning taking calls from journalists and trying to make electronic bill payments but achieving progress on investment and property matters as Thatcher causes an uproar over possible plans to privatise the Royal Dockyards and the Lebanese Government resigns.
Awake somewhat reluctantly to morning tea and Debbie played all manner of tricks before bringing me today’s paper. Breakfast of toast as usual and, after finishing the paper, up and dressed a little slower than usual. 10 duck eggs again this morning as the ducks are back to normal. The doves seem to be satisfactorily incubating the eggs and there are two now. To the office and a difficult morning fielding a few phone calls from journalists and struggling to catch up on my bill paying. The Homelink service had rejected a couple of my transactions as it seems a minimum of £350 has to be kept in the account. I make my own coffee as Diana is struggling with the baby today and then manage a little correspondence and to complete the forms for selling 60,000 Kode shares and taking up £15,000 of rights with Barclays Bank BLC.
Lunch of rolls and butter and I have to fight with Daniel for the few white bread ones as we both find brown rolls unpalatable. Back to the office after and a good afternoon dealing with all urgent matters of private business. I reply to Mr Robertson about the Bronbster acquisition, to Miss Eady of Vinters after deciding that Diana and I should hold Willow Close as ‘tenants in common’ and a note and cheque to Headley Stokes to thank them for organising my application for planning approval. Then to BMMG business and a start made by replying to the letter from ACORN and talking to Helen Gibbons over the outstanding bill from Martin Isherwood. No news from ACT, but signed BMMG membership applications by five companies including ICL, Sinclair Research and FTS, which is good news. Finished for the day at 5.00 and some time trying to feed the doves and put the ducks away before tea of ham and egg pie and ice cream to follow. Debbie helped me to clean our new silver service of dinner knives before settling to some reading, writing and watching the television current affairs programmes. News tonight of more revelations about Princess Michael and the appearance of new documents that would prove that her father was not involved in SS actions and had an honorary position only, but many are dubious. On the US space shuttle, attempts to salvage the satellite have failed and its $80m value lost. In Lebanon the government has resigned after further damage caused by 15 hours of street fighting. On the British labour scene, there is mounting concern over the potential denationalisation of the Royal Dockyard, with consequent loss of jobs and all rail services north of the border as the rail unions strike over more job losses. NACODS leaders decide to ballot members for support of an overtime ban that would reduce production by an estimated 30%.