A day of organising the industry and looking after the family ending up with a game of draughts with Debbie as there is universal outrage at the way the South African government shot the demonstrators and only a little less at the Israelis shooting up the Lebanon in apparent revenge
Awake early on a milder morning and some time before the paper arrived. Breakfast of a single slice of toast as usual and then back to study the FT in depth. Tom Dalzell’s Sintrom is launched on the stock exchange by offer today and the prospectus is interesting, but at 21x times earnings the price seems too high by far to me. Tom Fitzpatrick’s CPU results are out today and show break even, which is a big collapse of profits. To the bathroom at 8.30am to hear the report of Yesterday in Parliament on the radio as I washed. A rough ride for the Tory government, who are under pressure from all sides over their economic policy. I rush out at 9.00am and drive into town for a dentist’s appointment with Dr Osborne, somewhat late. I became even later as my original Comart cleaner, Mrs Radley, stops me for a chat. She is aging and not very well, but holds up even so. I cannot help noticing her old pushchair for shopping and value her concern for Comart and our mutual acquaintances. On to the dentist and a clean bill of health, which is a relief. I am now evidently cleaning my teeth a lot better. Back home and a variety of calls set off by an enquiry from Ferranti for BMMG membership and LAN participation. I speak to Owles Hall, Bill Unsworth and Chris Shelton until the mail arrives at its lately time of 11.00am. A few mentions in Electronics Weekly on BOTMA and my IT speech to the IDPM.
Home for coffee and then to town to do our shopping. The bank, pet shop (for 8lb of pigeon mix) and fish shop for some herrings. I then help Diana to do the weekly shop by taking Daniella back to the car and picking Di up at the Co-op. Off to the Little Chef for lunch of tomato soup and a steak sandwich. Pleased to see that Di is still slimming and will soon start to lose weight. Home to unload and then to the office to continue. Calls to John Lamb on Exhibition Policy, Martin Isherwood on publicity and I then hear from Computing that the DTI is calling a press conference on Monday morning to announce the end of the moratorium, and call a few journalists to say that I am available on Monday for comment. Then to type letters to the Kimbers and Vinters over the house sale, before packing up. Home for my herring tea and then to play draughts with Debbie and nurse my headache during a quiet evening. News today of universal outrage over the South African police slaughter of 18 blacks. Britain, along with all else, call in the ambassador to protest. Continued protest and unrest will undoubtedly follow. More atrocities by the Israelis in Lebanon as they shoot randomly at surrounding countryside when on patrol, and exploding houses and firing rockets at fleeing cars full of villagers. A second Welsh pit votes to close today as the miners leave the industry in droves and take redundancy. The West London siege ended today when the criminal shot himself as the authorities attacked the van with CS gas. As he was without food and water, I do not understand why they could not have waited it out. The weather, milder and wet today, is forecast to continue cloudy and misty tomorrow and brighter on Sunday.