Long day travelling to The London Press Club and a leading contribution to the National Computing Centre’s advisory committee to agree a successful outcome of opposing the BT/IBM plan before negotiating a preferential deal for the BMMG at BIT85
Up a little too late at 7.45am after a late night completing my NCC advisory paper on action over the IBM/BT licence. I had completed a beautifully laid out treatise when my printer ribbon expired and I was left high and dry. Only use of multiple carbons and the suppression of the printer’s natural defence mechanism succeeded in saving the day. David Fear joined me at the end of an alcoholic evening and added his praise to the final result. So this morning, a rush to down a plate of cereal, to get washed and dressed then, off by car to Huntingdon train station for the 8.41am to London arriving at Kings Cross station on time by 9.25am. A quick tube to Farringdon and brisk walk to the Press Club Library, arriving by about 9.50am and before the business had started.
The most useful meeting we have had, with an educational presentation on video disks, my own appeal on LAN strategy, and input on the NCC Alvey activities and a good attendance and discussion. From an initial position of defeatism, I think I managed to get the committees endorsement of a policy of outright opposition, and David Farbairn is being advised accordingly. A nice buffet lunch, tasty without too much weight, and then I walked off to find my way to Twickenham and a meeting with the Managing Director of Cahners to agree a preferential strategy for the BMMG’s involvement in a new exhibition – BIT85, in March 1985. Home rather late after a long tube and train journey, but I managed to buy new printer ribbons today.