To Cambridge via St Neots for financial transactions, a car check and coffee at Belinda’s and then to Acorn Computers with Chris Shelton to talk networks before lunch at The Copper Kettle and to The Early Learning Centre for a sandpit for Debbie as the TGWU are accused of Ballot Rigging and Mayday demonstrators are dispersed by water canon in South Africa. Freda’s daughter Stacey gives birth safely to a baby girl as Mum and Dad arrive in Holsworthy to see them.
A good night’s sleep, but still full of cold as I wake to my morning tea. The paper and quickly to finish it before breakfast for once. A change as I choose cereal (frosties) to have instead of toast, with the top of a fresh bottle of milk to add to the flavour. I wash my hair, shave and wash and am dressed by the time Di returns from taking Debbie to school. I feed the birds (9 eggs) and load up the car for our trip to Cambridge. First to drop into St Neots and to pay my £110,000 cheque for special clearance into Barclays and pay £1000 into the Homelink/Bank of Scotland account and transfer the rest to Gateway Building Society. The Abbey were staff training for half an hour and lost out! On to Cambridge and I dropped Di off at the edge of town for some window shopping before driving on to Marshalls to leave the car. They were conducting a safety check and preparing some estimates on the bodywork repair and baby belts fitment. On by taxi, after a wait, to Belinda’s coffee bar and a quick coffee with Diana before off by taxi again to the Acorn Computers factory and Head Office at Cherry Hinton Road, Fulbourn.
I am there a few minutes early and meet Chris Shelton coming from the car park and we discuss tactics. In to find Chris Curry has ducked out of the meeting and a difficult start with Andrew Hinchley and colleague. Eventually, we find a possible form of compromise where Econet can live alongside the BMMG LAN and we cooperate on establishing the higher level of OSI protocols. Chris gives me a lift back to town after and I meet Diana for lunch in the Copper Kettle. Our normal roast beef and Yorkshire pud, with apple pie to follow. We separate to shop and then meet at the Early Learning Centre (a shop) to buy a new sand pit/marina for Debbie. By taxi to Marshalls and home by car. They found nothing wrong with it as I anticipated. Time in the office, where no mail of interest, but several calls and I return one each to Computing and Computer Weekly and one to Calners about the Which Computer Show. Home to watch England draw 0-0 with Romania in a world qualifying football match and then, after tea, a satisfying attempt at cleaning up the box for my drawing set. I saw from some books in Cambridge today that it could be from the mid 19th century. As light fails, I put the ducks away before the journal and television news. An independent enquiry finds more evidence of TGWU ballot rigging, but clears union officials of any conspiracy. In Poland, thousands of Solidarity demonstrators marched in defiance of the authorities on May Day and in South Africa, demonstrators were dispersed by water cannon in that regime’s reaction to demonstrations against unfair discriminations. Mum & Dad phone tonight and tell of their safe arrival in Holsworthy and of Stacey giving birth to a baby girl, which is a relief.