A busy first but rainy day of my holiday shopping and attending to investments, deciding to sell at least 1/8thof a £million -worth of Kode shares on strength and then reading poetry to Debbie and consoling Daniel about some bullying before catching up on some depressing news: Britons advised to leave Baghdad due to the Iraq/Iran war, South African authorities now jail political leaders and Greece considers blocking Spain and Portugal’s application to join the EEC
The first day of my ‘holiday’. Awake to my morning tea and read a few papers from my briefcase until the paper came. Mention of Kode International in The Financial Times and the shares tipped as a two-way bet for recovery and possible takeover as they rise in price, which is a relief. Up to breakfast with the family and then showered, shaved and dressed as Debbie left in Daniel’s care for school. Out to the doves in the pouring rain and cold north-westerly winds and the blonde Qualmond was too wet to come down to feed, but the rest were OK. Over to feed the ducks and a full house of 13 duck eggs, which had to have something to do with them being left out the previous night. To the office to call Tessa Curtis and said rather too much on the LAN initiative, but we have to keep the press on our side. On with the answering machine and back to the house at 11.00am for coffee and then all (except Deborah at school) to St Neots. As Diana and Daniel shopped at the Co-op, I posted letters, bought an accessory for our broken toilet, got some smoked mackerel for tea, and picked up my bank statement from Barclays.
Noticing an unexpected charge for interest, I paid £1000 into the account from the Bank of Scotland. All off to the Little Chef for lunch and, leaving Daniella in the car, it was nice having a quiet meal - just the three of us. Home after and then Daniel and I back to town to buy his stereo cable-splitter, and to look up other Kode comments in the papers of the reference library. Home and Daniel for a walk as I settled in the office. Phone call to Vinters to give instructions on my house purchase and then, using the Prestel set, a number of EFT transactions to pay bills and settle accounts with the boatyard and electricity board. Back to read for an hour before my mackerel tea and then an evening reading and writing my journal. A session with Debbie reading poems after putting the ducks away. News tonight of a controversy over the governments interference with soccer fixtures. The England vs Scotland match has been switched from London to Glasgow amidst anger from the soccer authorities. NACODS Welsh leaders call for another strike ballot as the national leadership accuse the government of lying and misleading them for political expediency. The coal board are closing mines in spite of the agreement to a consultative review procedure. Britons are advised to leave Bagdad after a series of rocket attacks in the Iraq/Iran war. In South Africa, the authorities have clamped down on meetings by the United Democratic Front in yet wider restrictions of civil liberties. Their leaders in jail and meetings banned, they will be hard pressed to continue their peaceful opposition to the evil of apartheid. An EEC summit starts following overnight agreement on terms to admit Spain and Portugal; but Greece may oppose it. Today Daniel told me of the jostling he received from Longsands schoolboys in Little Paxton because he went to the ‘posh’ school of Kimbolton. This saddened me, but Daniel seems to take it in his stride and dismisses it. I talked to Nicholas de Zoete today and agreed a strategy to sell £125,000+ of Kode shares in the new tax year, topping up my Jaguar holdings and retaining some cash for contingencies. We hope the Kode prices remain strong and the Jaguar weak, in which case I might diversify even more of my Kode holdings.