Full day on Computer Industry affairs before a rest for tea with wintry weather on the way and to hear the news of the Luton vs Millwall Riot last night - 'The day that football died'
Awake at 6.30 with my morning tea after an unsettled night. I come to and get the paper as I am also called to breakfast. To bed again after and to read The Financial Times as the morning sun slants across my bed. The morning mail full of legal documents and other dull missives. Up, washed, dressed and out to the doves, who are hungry in the chilly northerly breeze. Up by ladder to view the dovecote, where I see that the grizzle hen now has two eggs, which are being incubated by her and the indigo cock, each in turn. To the ducks and to find 8 eggs today. The neighbour’s Aylesbury ducks seem to have taken up camp on our gardens these days. To the office where the mail contained press comments on the LAN initiative in Electronics Weekly and Computertalk. Phone calls to Martin Isherwood on leaflets for next Tuesday’s Local Government Seminar; to Bill Barrett on the attendance for the meeting next week; to the DTI to compare notes on a London Demonstration Centre venture; to Alan Ball to try to enlist his help with two seminars; to Chris Shelton to get him to speak at a NCC Micro Advisory committee meeting as well as visit Chris Curry of Acorn to chase FTS for BMMG membership. Calls from Electronics Week and at least one other journal (PC News) for comment. Lunch with Di’s parents, who now seem to have recovered from their colds, and then back for another afternoon session on the phone.
Rob Wilmott of ICL telling me not to believe the press stories about working for Sinclair, and getting me to talk to Standards in Silicon – a venture consultancy. Graham Clifton tells me of his exploits over the PRISM and WREN liquidations and negotiations with a successor company over support and licensing. No luck in speaking to Chris Curry or Mike O’Reagan of RML; but I rearrange the meeting with Mike Redbridge of Cahners for next Wednesday after his illness had cancelled the last. Eventually, rather tired and bored of phone calls and, with my throat aching, I pack up shop and put away the ducks and come in to tea. Salad and rolls to eat, which is rather poor, and then I catch up on some reading and my journal before watching the television. News today of the aftermath of yesterday’s riot at the Luton v Millwall football match. The government, the police and the football authorities are all blaming one another. Near the ground, windows were broken and cars damaged. At the ground, £15,000 worth of seats were ripped up and thrown. On a chartered train, £50,000 worth of damage ensued. In Angola, three British hostages have been released by UNITA gorillas after a three day forced march and a campaign of harsh treatment. The school teachers have come under government criticism for their industrial action and now all of the civil service unions are planning to strike on April 1st. The weather forecast to become even more wintry for the next few days, with snow as well!