With Diana ill at first and the ducks laying well, I make and take industry calls before we drive to Cambridge as normal for a meal and for me to buy some history books and then back to welcome Barry Gamble of Fountain Forestry and to reserve a 270ha estate in Caithness as New Zealand bans US nuclear craft, interest rates rise to 13 3/8% and Spain opens the border to Gibraltar
A lay in, but find on waking that Diana has had a wakeful night. Her heavy cold, sore throat, was made worse by having a sore breast as well. I drink tea and try to read The Financial Times, but Debbie brings in Daniella and reports Di is asleep in the couch downstairs. I get Debbie to clear up her toys and suggest Di either gets up or go to bed properly. She gets to rise and so gets Debbie ready for school as I get washed and dressed. Down to breakfast on my own and then out to the birds. Eight eggs from the ducks today, which is a record for 1985 and also to succeed in getting the doves to feed from the bird table. A fair frost this morning after a cold night, but the sun soon dispels it – though the air stays cool. Over to the office for an hours work, when I discover that I need to pay money into both bank accounts. Also to make out a £40K cheque for de Zoete, but I could not get Prestel to work properly. Phone calls from Computer Weekly and Martin Isherwood.
Back to the house for coffee at 10.30am and then off with Diana to St Neots. £3,000 from Abbey National to Barclays and then onward to Cambridge to do our shopping. We find a parking meter without too much trouble and have a nice lunch at the Copper Kettle. Diana to buy a new bed cover and some coatracks and I to the old book shop, where I buy two books on natural history. One, an old edition on the countryside, is specially for boys and I get it for Daniel to learn some country lore. Then to Heffers to get a book on the Battlefields of Britain. Home by 2.00pm and no sign of my visitor, but when playing back the answering machine messages, I found Barry Gamble was waiting by the local phone box for directions! I called him and get him over, returning a call to Peter Large of The Guardian and giving views on the future of British micro computing. Mr Gamble then discussed the investment implications of forestry for a full hour and a half and I provisionally reserved a 270 hectare plot on the Broubster Estate in Sutherland. It includes a fair portion of a loch and a 650ft hill. It is near Dounreay and close to John O’Groats, but fortunately can be reached by plane. Time afterwards only to put the ducks away and complete my Prestel transaction at last to transfer money to my Bank of Scotland account. In to a tea of salmon salad and meringue/ice cream to follow and then, having lit a log fire, a quiet period writing up these last two days journal. News tonight of the NCB ruling out further talks with the miners and of the release of the British hostages in Libya. Also of the US navy pulling out of pacific naval exercises next month due to New Zealand’s ban on nuclear craft. The City had news today of ¾ % rise in money M3 and interest rates eased by 1/16% to 13 3/8%. Shares rose strongly, but the pound dropped by 1/3 cent. Off then to Nigel’s house to organise BMMG publicity and a productive hour and a half before home before 10.00pm. Today the border with Gibraltar was opened in a Spanish ceremony to coincide with the holding of Anglo/Spanish talks on future sovereignty of The Rock.