Travelling home from London and returning many press and industry phone calls before arranging meetings and disciplining Daniel who misbehaves when his friend Jonathan Bloom visits: This as Kinnock wars with Thatcher over the Clive Ponting whistle-blowing affair and we first hear of £3bn of planned social security cuts
A lay in reading both The Financial Times (which I had ordered) and the Telegraph, which had been delivered with the complements of the Savoy. Also to listen to the radio. Yet more developments in the commons row and now Thatcher has written a long letter of explanation on the events that ran up to the Ponting prosecution and she has now asked that Kinnock accept her assurances, which I think he should now do. Much intervention now from David Steel and Dr David Owen of the alliance to good effect. The opinion polls in The Telegraph put the Tories and Labour Party at a much more even par and the Alliance has gained markedly. The pollees seem to give the Alliance leaders a lot more praise as well. Washed and changed and down to a full English breakfast in the Savoy restaurant. Excellent food, presentation and service, even at their busiest time. Out then to Moss Bros to return the dinner suit and back to call for the car, pack my bags and phone the office again. Several messages and calls then to Bill Unsworth, Owles Hall and COMPETA. No luck with DMS yet. Downstairs to check out, but find my car not ready and being washed and so I bought a Guardian and read the Valentine pages. James Edwards of Plessey chanced by for a chat and reaffirmed his lunch invitation while I waited.
Off then home by car, stopping at Walter’s in Hatfield for petrol and engine oil on the way. Home for lunch with Diana’s parents and lots of private and BMMG mail to read as well. I put seed and water out for the doves on the riverside garden and they flew straight down, which was a blessing. I can now feed them in the future with a minimum of fuss. Then to the office and calls to Business Week (the US business magazine on the Hobby Micro Industry), DMS (Patrick wants his MD as next BMMG Chairman), Computer News on Inward Investment and The Guardian on Acorn’s troubles. Then I track down Jill Hills, the author of ‘IT and Industry Policy’ and arrange to meet her for lunch next Tuesday. I also talk to Bill Barrett of the BMMG, Alan Ball to correct his diary date, and Nigel Smith to get him along for Tuesday. John Lamb calls later and asks advice on the Comart Share Scheme – Irena is giving him a hard time – and we agree to meet next week. Back to feed the ducks. At last I managed to tempt them out of the water, across the ice, and up the slipway to eat pellets and be put away. I bring a lot of logs in, light the fire and settle down to tea with the family and our guest, Jonathan Bloom of Great Gransden. Daniel misbehaves appallingly and has also been missing handwriting practice and so I tell him off strictly. A marginally milder day today, just above freezing, and the warm sun melts some of the snow in places. More frost forecast for tonight though. A quiet evening catching up on two day’s journal and some reading and then the latest news on TV. The Thatcher/Kinnock row goes on as Kinnock now accepts that Thatcher was not personally involved, but refuses to apologise or withdraw, asking a further 16 questions on the affair. The face-to-face acrimony continues in question time and a flurry of Valentine’s day letters follow. The Tory cabinet today discussed Budget Strategy and there is talk of £3 billion Social Security cuts. Clive Ponting addresses a Freedom of Information conference and complains of persecution. The MOD has refused to give him his old job back. Tam Deyell and Roy Hattersley both weigh in with attacks as well. In the coal strike, 4/5 exploratory meetings have taken place to agree a written agenda, as Scargill is in Paris thanking the French Trade Unions. The NCB are keeping a low profile.