Awake to see the article and profile of me featured me as the personality profile within The Times Newspaper but no time to waste as I rush to the Birmingham NEC for the Which Computer Show where we dominate with both Comart and Byte Shop stands. Lobbying Barclays Directors as our Byte Shop Group tops £560K for the month!
Awoken with tea in bed as usual and I see The Times personality profile which features me today! I am quite pleased with the result which is a fine friendly picture and a helpful text. I wonder how many of my old university friends and acquaintances would have noticed. Breakfast as usual and then off to the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre by car, arriving before the start of the Which Computer Show at 10.00am. A quick briefing from John Lamb and MEPC, our publicity agents, and then a few conversations with representatives of the press. I admire a super Comart Computers stand, the best yet with inviting layout, appealing colour scheme, and attractively housed equipment. Also the Byte Shops stand is larger than before and less cluttered. Most interested by the Barclays Bank stand where I chat to Ian Duffell, the High Technology Manager, and Matthew Bullock the Corporate Finance Director. They could both prove useful allies if the local region continues to give me difficulty.
In early afternoon, I walk across to the Hotel and join the Byte Shop Business Meeting and hear of a record £560K month now totalled for December. A full morning manning our stands and encouraging the sales force and a tiring afternoon visiting every corner of the hall. I am impressed by the size, number and professionalism of the stands and by the amount of effort that had gone into their preparation. Home by car in early evening and a tough time insisting that Daniel tries hard on his maths homework. Diana has another day where she can only get the ducks in with a stranger! A problem I will have to solve at the weekend. News tonight of an important vote on Rate Capping in the House of Commons, with Edward Heath, amongst others, speaking to oppose it. Also of the Security Conference where US Foreign Secretary Vance speaks against the present division of Europe which begins to sound ominous to me.