The morning deal done to purchase our neighbour’s house and press interviews before a mad rush to the Houses of Parliament for my PITCOM presentation in Committee Room 5, badly received, but with good support afterwards from Sir Peter in the main committee, Room 10, and afterwards in the hosted dinner at the Royal Horseguards Hotel and close links formed with a young MP, Philip Oppenheim on a day where Soviet premier Chernenko dies and Gorbachev is poised to take over, prescription charges are hiked and Egyptian Al-Fayed takes over Harrods and the House of Frazer
Up in good time and down to my toast and apple juice. Up to my Financial Times, which I managed to read before washing and dressing. Out to feed the doves and ducks (6 eggs) before early to the office to start a good morning’s work. I read Desiderata before starting, which is always a salutary philosophy. At last I wrote to Brian Androlia of ACT, to a number of others and got mostly up to date on both my private and industry correspondence. Diana took Daniella to St Neots, collected my bank statement and suit from the cleaners, and paid more gilt dividend warrants into the Abbey National. In mid-morning Peter, my next door neighbour, comes to the office and we talk of my work and office equipment before settling down to the terms for 7 Willow Close. We agree a price and I write a formal offer and put it through his letterbox at lunchtime. He was asking £62,000, I was offering £60,000 and we settled at £60,500 to keep him happy. After coffee, incoming phone calls (2) from Computer Weekly on standards and the Budget expectations; from Computing (the magazine) on LAN standards and the Guardian by freelance and arrangements to meet about IBM standards on Wednesday. The gas fitter calls to overhaul the office boiler in the middle of all this, but we survive. I finally manage to contact Roger Martin of ICL and progress the question of their BMMG membership and participation in the LAN project. Also the BMMG Chairman and Vice Chairman about the meetings to agree a DTI submission and Martin Isherwood on the question of membership circulars. At the end of a fair session, to the house, quickly changed, and off to St Neots. Running, I withdraw £100 from the bank, purchase £3.00 worth of stamps (10 x 1st and 10 x 2nd class), leap back in the Jaguar and drive at 100mph+ to London for my House of Commons PITCOM Council Meeting. I arrive early after a good trip in the bright sunshine and park at a 2 hour meter outside the Royal Horseguards Hotel and walk to the Commons.
I wait in the lobby and then outside Committee Room 5 until a parliamentary member arrives and we all go in. Chairman, Ian Lloyd, runs through the agenda items (Minutes, Finance, Publication, Programme, Membership) with his usual despatch and then the Council consider my paper as the first substantial item for both this (and I suspect) a number of meetings past. Alas, after my advocacy, almost all speak against it. PITCOM is too used to being a theatre of views rather than coming off the fence and presenting expert views to the House itself. It was as I expected, but the level of rejection was such as to make the other Council members feel somewhat guilty and amends are suggested by balancing this programme with policy seminars. As the new member, I sense how close the council has been these last few years and my views certainly led to debate. Also how penetrated it is by multinational company interests, where any participant worth their salt are actively involved in the parliamentary lobby. However, my paper was read and circulated and many of the policies suggested were aired to balance a fair of these alternative views. On to Room 10 and the main Committee and a fine speech from Sir Kenneth Corfield on the ‘Educational Aspect of IT’. A surprising reference to the Japanese way of privately funded education and a controversial note in the condemnation of IBM, which had their representation responding in the question session. I kept out of that exchange in view of the size of the meeting, but welcomed Sir Kenneth’s bravery and would encourage more of it when we next meet. After to talk to the secretariat about an event late October/early November and also to Roy Newall about publishing my IT Paper through Computer Weekly. Then by foot alone to the Royal Horseguards Hotel and the PITCOM dinner with the active MPs. More approaches to balance the Council report, which I fielded gracefully and then to dinner, sitting between the UKITO Ferranti representative, Wilf Robinson, who I rather neglected, and the young computer MP, Philip Oppenheim, with whom closely engaged in conversation for two hours on IT policies, micros and the Comart story. A very supportive relationship and mutual wish to work more closely on these issues. I think he is a conservative MP as well and son of Sally Oppenheim! After to chat with John Lamb and Philip Virgo; and also with Derek Broome and Frank Richardson on programme ideas, before home by car and the radio news. News today of the death of Soviet Premier, Chernenko, and the choice of Mikhail Gorbachev as his successor. At 54, the mould of aging Russian leaders seems to have been broken. Also of prescription charges rising to a startling £2 from £1.60, which brings widespread anger and criticism in its wake. Harrods, and the House of Fraser, has fallen to the Egyptians, Al-Fayed. Ian Lloyd, also Chairman of the Commons Energy Committee, was leading a well publicised attack on the BNOC for adopting an informal cartel with OPEC. The fine day turned to an overnight frost as I finally turned to bed at midnight.