Very successful BMMG press conference in the London World Trade centre but the pictures of Maerdy miners marching back to work, heads held high and with bands playing, banners flying, in a display of defiance and loyalty to the cause are what I remembered from today
We oversleep and Di wakes me at 7.25am, which is a worry. Quickly up, down to shower and wash my hair and then a hasty breakfast of Weetabix. Daniel has already seen to himself and leaves by bike for the St Neots bus. Debbie, ill from yesterday, is having the day off from school and so I just fend for myself. Out to the birds and I quickly put seed and water out for the doves and then to bring in another eight eggs from the ducks. Quickly out by car to Stevenage where I parked in the station car park and observed the old sections of felled oak – I counted over 200 annular rings, which is a great shame that these were felled to make way for the new railway station 20 years ago. By train, 1st class to Kings Cross, at last reading the daily paper and then by tube towards Tower Bridge. The journey was a tortuous one with very few circle line tubes running and so I hopped off at Liverpool Street and got a taxi for £2.00 to the World Trade Centre venue. First the BMMG Members Meeting, which was well attended by 12/15 members, with Alan Ball also coming along to begin his involvement. A fast and furious session with topics ranging from membership to standards, exhibitions, exports etc. Finished by 12.15pm and then photo sessions with two lots of photographers before the drinks reception at 12.30pm. We finally started the press conference at 1.00pm and had a full house of journalists from both the computer and national press.
Nigel Smith opened with the background to the BMMG and our past achievements; I followed with the perspective to the BMMG/DTI LAN initiative; Dr Chris Shelton elaborated on the detail of the report’s recommendations and we were flanked by two representatives of the DTI to give moral support. A spirited question session before Nigel wound up at 2.00pm and invited all to partake of a buffet lunch. Then 3/4 individual interviews with Electronics Weekly, Datalink, and other journals and another photo session outside before the majority of journalists and members had left. A very successful event and we await the extent and content of the coverage. After, I stayed to send my IT paper by facsimile to the IDPM for tomorrow’s meeting and also to return a number of calls from my answering machine and the conference organisers. A good days work. A brisk walk past the Tower of London to Tower Hill tube station and then home by train to Stevenage and by car to the house. A fair mail, with a reply from the owner of another plot of riverside land that we intend to buy. Di is a little better, the baby is fine and the children are all right, but rather in the mould of walking wounded. Away with the ducks by torchlight, a bedtime story to Debbie, homework help with Daniel and then to a tea of cheese sandwiches with orange juice from Di. I updated my journal, played with the baby, and settled down to the television news. The miners today march back, heads held high and with bands playing, banners flying, in a display of defiance and loyalty to the cause. Maerdy miners typified this, where not a single miner crossed the picket lines despite being out of work for a year. Bitterness continues, however, and the Scottish and Kent miners are holding out for an amnesty. Yorkshire miners refuse to cross picket lines sent down from Scotland, where the pit management are adopting a very hard line. In the House of Commons, Thatcher was answering amnesty questions from angry Labour MPs and Kinnock pressed home an attack on unemployment. In Belfast, a 17 year old man was charged in respect of the mortar bomb attack. The weather today was a beautiful spring day with temperatures above 12*C, but tomorrow will start foggy and then rain spreading from the west.