Cooler and more productive business day as Torch founder but my parents arrive for a surprise visit as Mum makes progress and then an evening gardening as dampness stops work on the boat

Another cool and shivery day with temperatures in the low 60’s and the rain quite persistent at times. June is still very much behind and struggling to catch up which makes progress more difficult for me. I spend a deal of time, therefore, touring the building and keeping an eye on things in the absence of David Fear and Derek Weatherby. John Lamb is now into service with a vengeance and his Product Support Manager is interviewing a good short list of four candidates today.

A call to the employment law solicitor, John Short, establishes that we might well have another tribunal on our hands with Bob Robinson and I send him the files by post Recorded Delivery. The final sales and gross profit figures for July are passed up this morning and are over target for the month. The production report also sees us producing an excess of 30 machines last month and so stocks are reasonably replenished. I have to send back the production schedule as it is completely obscure and I show them how to present information so that all levels can understand it.

After lunch Daniel phones me to say that my mother and father have arrived to visit us and I race back. Mum has been very ill and immobile following an accident in hospital and is only now off the Wolfrin Anticoagulant drugs and able to take sufficient pain killers to make longer journeys. Apart from an hour back at the office in late afternoon, I am home for the rest of the day with my parents. They are coping with things and Mum is soon to get an electric wheel chair and already has a pneumatic assistance for entering the bath. She leaves eventually rather tired and strained but having achieved her visit. An evening cutting hedges and sharpening tools as the rain today has put back varnishing again.

Today news that GEC have pulled out of the Torch takeover and Martin Vlieland Body bites the dust. Our competitors seem to rise and fall and Comart continues. Peter King is at London today, Nottingham tomorrow and will have plenty to update me on by the time of his visit to St Neots on Friday. My own task of group chairman now also allows more personal time to be a more active Comart Managing Director.