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To London for a lunch with IT policy author, Dr Jill Hills, and Nigel Smith after Diana has fallen ill and then home to my architect and to find Sir Kenneth wants me to lead the PITCOM dinner talk all as Thatcher meets Reagan again and Acorn is sold to Olivetti as a blow to the British Micro industry
Up during the night for relief to the bathroom and an unsettled night for Diana who was suffering from a sore breast and headache. She left me to lay in to make up for it and brought the tea and morning paper at 7.30am. I finished reading, washed my hair and had a bath by 9.00, but Diana was struggling and obviously tired and ill. Out to the birds in the milder weather and driving rain, which put the doves off of flying down. The 13 ducks only managed 1 egg as well. To the office to read the mail and make a couple of calls. I book the restaurant for today’s lunch and try to contact Nigel, but he was on the road. Back to the house at 10.30am and a meeting with Mr Stokes, the architect. He listens carefully and seems to think that the joining together of our house and that next door is feasible. We have to check the planning department view, settle the exterior elevations to ensure the result is pleasing and finally to plan the internal layout to make ergonomic sense. Off quickly, as Diana goes to bed to rest, to Huntingdon Station and by train to Kings Cross.
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Shrove Tuesday - Morning of administration before shopping in Bedford and completion of BMMG matter and the Thormaid forestry contract with some family games and pancakes finishing the day as 148 people die in the Bilbao 747 crash as it hit a broadcasting aerial and more unrest in South Africa
Awake on another chilly morning and Diana brings the morning tea with The Financial Times. Still cold in bed after breakfast of cold toast and fruit juice, but I finish the paper before 8.30am and the bathroom by 9.00am. Out to the birds and the doves feed well as they always do in the cold. I feed and release the ducks, but only 2 eggs from 13 birds, which is as well as we did yesterday with 2 birds. To the office by 9.10am and the post had already arrived and so we are all quick off the mark this morning. I print out my letter of last night to Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran, open the mail (of little consequence) and then try Robertson without success. I press on with my correspondence, finish several letters to Cahners, NEDO and the DTI before eventually getting through to my Thurso solicitor by 10.50am and agreeing the action required. Back to the house for coffee and then off with the girls to Bedford (Daniel being still within school term). A good meal of tomato and chilli soup and fried haddock to follow at Debenhams and then an hours shopping with Di in Debenhams, W H Smith, Boots and the British Home Stores.
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Busy day of phone calls and correspondence on Computer Industry matters but a frustrating one because I am unable to speak to my Thurso solicitor about purchasing my Thormaid woodland in Caithness before I watch the House of Commons debate over the Clive Ponting affair as John Stanley, Defence Minister, is given a torrid time, loyally taking the flak for Thatcher
A good night’s sleep and our closed door stopped young Deborah from coming in and waking Diana up. She gets the tea and I sup it as I browse through my last boating magazine until The Financial Times. Up for breakfast and back to bed to finish the paper before into the bathroom in good time to exit by 9.00. Dressed and out to the birds. The doves feed only when I leave them at the table and the only two ducks that I managed to put away last night duly laid an egg each. In to the office and the start of a difficult day trying to catch up on a chronic backlog of correspondence, whilst also trying to complete arrangements for my Thormaid purchase. I start by sorting out my desk and briefcase, filing surplus papers and piling up the action items. Then phone calls to Barry Gamble of Fountain Forestry, who has been speaking to the Perth office and putting my points of Friday’s conversation. Then to try to raise my Thurso solicitor, Mr Robertson, but he is attending the Sheriff’s Court today. I break before starting my correspondence and leave messages for John Lamb, Nigel Smith and Martin Isherwood to phone me back, now that I have listed the principal BMMG action items and wish to discuss them.
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Restful morning until my attractive young neighbour, Tricia, has her cat attacked by local dogs and then a visit to my parents in Stanton where Mum is recovering from her heart operation as the NUM proposals are rejected by the NCB and another man is shot dead in Ulster and more people die by falling through ice
Deborah woke us up early and so tea in bed at the usual time. A little time to start my boating magazines bought yesterday, before The Sunday Times arrived and I went down to start reading it in the kitchen. Breakfast of fried egg, bacon, mushrooms and bread and then back to bed with the paper. Another cold morning after a heavy frost as I stayed in bed until 11.00am reading. Then to shave and wash and, whilst dressing, an enormous racket in the garden as a pack of dogs pursue next door’s tabby cat into the back of our garden and catch it. They take it by a leg each and the others bite and pull at its fur – the children upstairs shouting that they are killing it. I put on some shoes and a jacket and go out to the dog owner, who defends his position and does not confess his lack of control. John from next door joins me and he asks what has happened and flies into a fury. It seems that this man’s dogs (from Heron’s Acre by the lock) are always pursuing cats as a pack and running across gardens and terrifying all.