Conservative Party Conference Brighton Bomb blast kills three and maims others on a day where another bombshell, this time from the NCC supporting the IBM/BT plan, enrages me as family health problems frustrate my plans for a get-together
A fair lay in and chance to read the Financial Times before a breakfast of melon, apple juice and toast. Up to the bathroom to get washed and dressed when I heard on the radio of the bomb explosion at the Tory Conference Hotel in Brighton. The Grand Hotel had a 25lb bomb placed at the front of the building on an upper floor and the subsequent blast collapsed the floors below killing three and trapping and injuring 30 others. Amongst the trapped and injured was Cabinet Minister and Secretary of State Norman Tebbit and his wife who was only freed after six hours with no internal injuries – only a broken leg, ribs, cuts and bruising. Over to my office and tidying various paperwork until at 10.00am I was to realise that the postman had only been delivering the Lowe’s mail to 39 Gordon Road and leaving PO Box 7 undelivered. A phone call to the local post office and vociferous complaint led them to apologise and drop it round immediately. From opening it, and reading the NCC BT/IBM Consultation Report and Computer News, I saw that the NCC had come out in favour of the licence which spoilt my day. I spoke immediately to David Fairbairn, its Director, and expressed my disappointment but this damage was done and I said it could well tip the balance against my efforts.
I could only get an enlargement of their views to the point where they are in favour only on the basis of wide ranging safeguards which had to work; in the absence of which they would be against. I leave my office to join Diana for a shopping trip to St Neots, and lunch at the local Little Chef. Late afternoon reading and filing my volume of delayed mail before a tea of grilled trout and evening teaching Debbie to write and supervising quite a lot of Daniel’s homework which I insisted he eventually got right. The news dominated by the bombing with its worst effect of putting Thatcher back into ‘Falklands’ mode. Whoever did it (and the Provisional IRA have claimed responsibility) was no friend of Mrs Thatcher’s opponents. Names of two dead are being kept secret because they are relatives of the injured, but the other is Sir Anthony Berry, Conservative MP. The coal talks continue late into the night without agreement and I also watch a televised football league match where Tottenham beat Liverpool 1-0. Phone calls to Freda and my Dad today find both Freda and Mum better after recent health setbacks but my idea of bringing together the family in early November has had to be cancelled.