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Over to Buckden to see The Lady after a late start to a milder day with a thaw starting too late to save lots of cancelled sporting events before a family lunch and to read after a dish of herrings for dinner as black Senator, Jesse Jackson, is refused permission to visit South Africa by the Botha government
A late night watching an Alfred Hitchcock thriller film and so tired this morning when I woke up. I read a little Pepys, 1666, whilst awaiting the paper and then down to breakfast before back to bed to read The Financial Times and Investor’s Chronicle. Rather late to get washed and dressed and then out to feed the doves, release the ducks (3 eggs) and collect the post from the office. Plenty of journals, including my coverage in Computer Weekly over next week’s LAN seminar. Out by car to St Neots and, dropping off Diana, Debbie and Daniella for ballet, I drove on to Buckden Marina to see The Lady. Richard, the manager, was not there, but I saw the boy and looked over the boat. What a good job they have done so far! The varnishing is complete and looks good with the toe rails and rubbing strakes a particular transformation.
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Blizzards follow on from the freeze-up as I travel by train to the Digital Research and to talk and agree an objective of computer industry open standards with the press and key computer industry leaders and more minters return to work as interest rates soar. Thatcher and Kohl talk WWII 40th commemorations and communists attack rebels in Cambodia
Awake early to morning tea and the radio news until my paper arrived. The forecast blizzard stayed in the English Channel and West Country and the rest of England is clear. Breakfast, washed and shaved, and then in old clothes out to feed the doves and thaw their drinking water. No more snowball attacks. In to get changed before rushing Daniel to his school bus in St Neots. We missed it there, but caught it up in Eaton Meadows and so managed to get him off safely. Being late to catch the London train from Huntingdon, I drove down to Stevenage and caught the 9.05. David Shinn was parking his car at the same time and we sat together on the train to Kings Cross talking about industry affairs. CASU seem in trouble, but I fear many British microcomputer manufacturers are feeling the strain. At Kings Cross, David spotted Martin Banks, the journalist, also bound for the press seminar and so I completed my journey to Piccadilly with him and speculated on the purpose of the conference. It seems also that the idea of a microcomputer industry history book has developed in conjunction with David Tebbit’s publishers agent into a piece industry interview with the early entrepreneurs. The press conference was jointly presented by Digital Research Inc and Intel Inc and announced the new Concurrent 286 operating system. Opportunity over a preliminary coffee to talk to Guy Kewney, Martin Banks and a few other journalists and after to Paul Bailey and Frank Iveson of Digital Research, Ninian Edie of ICL, Dr Martin Healey of Univ. Wales and FTS. The theme throughout was common industry standards and designs not dominated as proprietary IBM designs and I found that very reassuring.
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Driving to Birmingham on even colder day for a DTI advisory committee and subsequent buffet lunch with other computer industry leaders before a chance to shop and update my radio control before more time with Daniel with his homework in front of an open log fire as blizzards and freezing weather combines with the rail strike to paralyse Britain.
Up and awake on a freezing morning. They say that the temperature was -20degC overnight and the snow of a few days ago is all around. Down to a breakfast of toast and honey after up early to wash my hair and shave. Out by 8.00am to clear the wall of snowballs (they had peppered the doves again last night) and feed the doves. It also took quite a while to thaw out the drinking vessel which was frozen solid. Changed into my brown suit and off by car at 8.00am, dropping Daniel at Kimbolton on my way to Birmingham for a DTI Advisory Committee meeting of the Federation of Microsystems centres. I arrived a bit late and found the meeting tiresome on detailed activities, with no news yet of the further funding proposal. I successfully argued for a 3 year application to give longer term financial security and we hope for a further DTI response in a couple of months. A social buffet lunch talking to David Fairbairn, Ian Dunkly and Tony Keston and then I set off home because of the weather and opted out of a further visit to the Which Computer Show. The car is caked with salt deposits from the road and the Birmingham air was very cold today, -10 at least, even during the day. To Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes, on the way home and to buy Nicad plugs and a fast battery charger. They advise me that my existing Futaba combo is so old (17 years +) that I should buy a new radio control set.
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Tending the birds on a record cold and frosty day, then working on Computer Industry affairs and my accounts before playing sleds with Debbie, homework with Daniel and toys with Della as the CEGB generates record electricity levels and we have 10 degrees of frost and the temperature in London is the lowest since 1953
An early awakening as both Daniel and Debbie are at school today. Morning tea and then a full period to read The Financial Times before breakfast of melon and a half slice of toast as usual. After the children had gone, up, washed and dressed and then out to do the birds myself for the first time since Dad came to stay. I took the ladder to clear the snowball remains from the back wall – I saw no point in encouraging other local boys by example – and then cleared the dovecot out before thawing their drinking vessel. The night had seen temperatures of at least 10 degrees of frost, with a further covering of powdery snow, but it had stopped by now. The doves were not very hungry as Dad had left a fair amount of seed for them last night. Out to the ducks to release and feed them, but only one egg today as they are still deterred by the cold weather. Dad leaves before coffee for Papworth as he is taking Mum home today. Then to the office and a few calls whilst tidying up my papers. Nigel Smith phones to report all preparations are in hand for the BMMG/LAN seminar and I brief him on the Which Computer show.