A cold morning tending ducks and doves and then some phone calls and messages/ press coverage to read before recording a message to give us a 14-day leisure break as the NUM scales down its action after their main defeat, the UK government reduced rate subsidies and the repression continues with more violence and brutality in South Africa
Awake early and snuggled up with Diana on another cold morning. Tea and both yesterday’s and today’s Financial Times to read before breakfast. Out to the birds and as the doves feed eagerly, I use the ladder to check the two eggs. One is dented and, after three weeks and the cold weather, I am now sure that they are not going to hatch. To the office and to complete outstanding matters, intending to have a couple of weeks off, if the weather breaks. A few phone messages to return and a long call with APT News Services for a Mini Micro news article in the US; and also chats with Bill Barret of the BMMG and Martin Isherwood. Diana calls and we break off to have coffee and then go into St Neots to see some materials. It seems that they do not do fabrics of the quality we require and so we have to leave it. Home again and to the office where the mail had arrived. My post moratorium and budget comments noted in Electronics Weekly and Computing. Letters in reply to Keith and Murray and to Export IT and then lunch with Diana’s parents and Daniel.
Back to the office with Di to record a message for the answering machine, putting people off until Monday April 15th and to put my other papers in order. The remainder of the afternoon with Debbie and Daniella as Di caught up with some housework. Tea of underdone sausages and then an evening of television and reading. The teletext told me that Kode had declared their year’s profits on a rough parity with last year, but with double the turnover, and their shares rose 4p on the news but I think that their new accounting policies are showing a less prudent picture than we used to. The NUM executive vote to recommend an end to the overtime ban and a delegate conference will consider this recommendation next week. Oil companies announce a 4p reduction in petrol prices to bring the price per gallon under £2. The banks reduce base rate by ½ % to 13%. The pound falls a cent today against the dollar, but US banking rumours persist with oil and agriculture loans looking very soft. Our rate bills arrived today and many ratepayers are lobbying MPs as they break for their spring recess over the reductions in subsidy. Anti-apartheid groups in South Africa have a day’s mourning in the wake of the mass killings and three more blacks are killed in the night. Violence increases and mobs dig up corpses and burn them in a macabre attempt at recrimination.