Organising the speakers for my EXPORT IT seminar after some domestic and before some business mayhem and then some press calls and photo sessions before one-to-one meetings with my main executives to get everybody working together again as We evacuate Brits from Beirut and the US spaceflight also struggles with technical problems

A little late to the office after a good lay in. Much fuss this morning with Daniel not being particularly keen to follow Diana’s instructions and prepare himself properly for school. Eventually to have breakfast and arrive at the office where a good pile of papers awaited me and occupied half of the morning before I was able to catch up. Then to organise Eddie Bleasdale as an alternative speaker to Howard Sayle of Rair who had dropped out of the FCO conference. I telephone through the changes to Export IT and finalise my arrangements before embarking on a tough afternoon of telephone press interviews, photo sessions and one-to-one meetings with John Lamb, Carlton Lowe, Derek Morgan and David Fear.

Several nonsenses to sort out today to my irritation with conflicts occurring over production instructions, sales admin processing and related matters. After hours to review matters with Peter King before completing David Fear’s personal review and appraisal which is a difficult one. News tonight of the British evacuation of Beirut and of the US space flight still beset with technical difficulties. A frost tonight makes me concerned for the newly laid bricks in the partially built garden wall.