Working on Industry affairs but deciding against seeking a Kode Directorship and in favour of selling my 5% as I am interviewed on the prospects for the UK computer industry in 1985 and my Dad Fred tells me of the sad death of his father when he was only 14
A lay in after my12.30am bedtime last night. Tea rather summarily deposited with me at 8.00am with the paper and I read it completely before breakfast at nearly 9.00am. I struggled to get to the office by 9.30am, but no calls. A letter to Research Machines and then coffee at 10.45am, after which, Di went shopping and Dad looked after Debbie and her friend whilst I carried on. Only 1 duck egg today and the dove cocks argue over feeding pecking orders. The rest of the morning typing a few more letters and scanning the Prestel service for investment news, before lunch and then back to work. By tea break I had caught up on the BMMG Export matters and sent a summary of necessary actions to the BMMG secretariat. Over lunch I had discussed Kode with Diana and, after a deal of consideration, we decided not to send the letter to Kode’s Chairman, Ted Randell, applying for a Directorship of Kode. This means that I will start to sell the 5% holding after the end of the tax year in early April.
In late afternoon I check the Bank of Scotland and Nottingham Building Society account balances on Prestel. Also, via the city service, I see that shares and gilts have risen today, but sterling has fallen again. Out to feed and put the ducks away, slipping over on the slipway in the process on the ice and getting a wet foot! Mary Fagen of Electronics Weekly then rang again and I gave her my views of the UK micro industry for 1985. A pretty gloomy view it was too, unless government IT industry policies are changed. Home to tea of stilton and biscuits as I opened a ‘potted’ stilton as a Christmas present. Dad comes back and reports Mum as having slightly improved and each day is progress. Dad tells me of his father as a decorator and how he was shown the skills of the job. As a lad of 9 he slept as his father and uncle decorated a Doctors surgery overnight. By the age of 14 his father had died of a bronchial asthma, causing a heart attack at the age of 51. The evening watching television – Dallas and then a documentary on heroin addiction. News tonight of Thatcher wanting Britain to re-arm with chemical weapons in discussions even as arms control talks were in progress. Senator Kennedy meets Nelson Mandela’s wife on a visit to South Africa, which is quickly turning into an anti-South Africa publicity exercise. Tremendous cold weather across Europe as The Riviera is colder than Greenland. Fen skating on Bury Fen for the first time in 3 years.