Driving in a borrowed Cortina to Coventry for the NCC Advisory Committee’s visit to the Courtaulds Group Microsystems facility as John tussles with Service Department personnel and The Yorkshire Miners’ Strike starts as Thatcher’s place man, McGregor, plans to close 20 pits

An arrangement this morning to exchange cars with Diana so that she could take the Rover in for an exhaust repair. Unhappily she got the car as far as the playschool and could not restart it – which is the second time she has suffered the same fate! For my part I managed to borrow a company Cortina to drive to Coventry and the Group Microsystems facility of Courtaulds. As part of the N.C.C. Advisory Committee (together with Alex D’Agapeyov, David Fairbairn and Prof Jim Alty) it was our role to hear about the company, their use of micros, and advise them on how to proceed.

Of course Alex turned the whole thing into an Expert Systems Promotion – which is par for the course – but I was impressed to meet the DP Managers of the various divisions and learn just how virgin the territory was. Courtaulds turns over £2Billion per year, employs 5500 people and only has a few hundred micros installed. Back to the office in early evening to find many still at work. John has another service crisis on his hands with two more resignations on the internal side – I fear he will continue to suffer thus until his Service Manager learns more about Human Relations. The weather much milder today and the Builders managed to install the new balcony door but there are no railings up yet. News today of a Yorkshire Miners’ Strike after the overtime ban has lasted 17 weeks. The dispute relates to pit closures and pay and conditions. McGregor is talking closure for over 20 pits. News also of National Semiconductor setting up a plant to make large wafers for chip manufacture.