A restless night with Daniella’s cold and then morning news of a heavy Government defeat in the commons over London Airport development and then off to Oxford for some Research Machines consultancy with their founders before home and to Daniel for his homework as still the NCB blocks talks and unemployment rises to 3,341,000 and up to 90% in Middlesbrough whilst starving Ethiopian refugees trek 6000 miles to the Sudan
Awake early and before Diana as the children are restless. Daniella has been awake for some of the night and wakes with a fair cold. The morning radio and news of last night’s rebellion with 70 Tory MPs voting against the government on airport development. The Southern MPs do not want the noise and the Northern MPs are not allowed the chance of the employment. The morning tea and then the paper arrives for the headlines before breakfast and the detail after. By 8.30am, up and to get washed and dressed, shampooing my hair in the process. Out to the ducks (5 eggs) and the doves, who are hungry, but agitated by the territorial instincts of the Blue cock. I think it will not be long before they would wish to start nesting. Changed and to the office. Phone calls returned to Management Today (but no contact with the journalist), Kode to agree action on Microserve administration, and BMMG Secretariat Owles Hall to advise on DTI LAN report circulation. I used Prestel to transfer £1,000 to the Bank of Scotland to cover my Buckden Marina cheque and to check my statements. Back to the house for a coffee and then off by car to Oxford and my Research Machines visit.
A long afternoon from 12.30pm until 6 o’clock discussing their company, plans and marketing problems. I meet their Chairman, Mike Fischer (and his wife Debbie) and Mike O’Regan and we also have a nice lunch together. I offer a day next month to see them again and feel my advice is of help. They need to create room and scope for a Marketing Entrepreneur or tackle other industry segments and my probing reveals little present skills in strategic marketing. A quiet drive home listening to the broadcast economic censure debate in the House of Commons. Much classical posturing along party lines, but a little constructive criticism and analysis of financial options from both sides of the House. Home to tea and to see Daniel finish his homework, before televised snooker and the news. The NCB break off the coal talks for lack of the NUM assurances as the precondition. They are relying upon further attrition in a drift back to work, but may have hardened the opposition in the process. A last effort is being made at the TUC tonight to try to find a form of words acceptable to both. Unemployment has risen sharply to 3,341,000 and, whilst January is normally a hard month, this total is now a new record and news reports talk of more cutbacks. Pockets of 70, 80 and 90% unemployment are reported in Middlesbrough. The National Union of Teachers are planning industrial disruption from next Wednesday and other labour disputes are coming. Four are charged with the gold bullion robbery and a 78 year old man is charged with murdering 7 year old Chursty, found dead on Tuesday. In Ethiopia and the northern Tigre region, occupied by rebel troops, complete villages of refugees make the long trek to Sudan of 600 miles, whilst others build a supply road with their bare hands. A fine, bright day today, but showers as I drove home. A wave of rain forecast for tomorrow, but the temperature to stay mild.