Karen Roche and the child she bore for $12,000 as 'baby Cotton
Karen Roche and the child she bore for $12,000 as 'baby Cotton

Dad takes the girls to school as Diana mis-posts some money which is a minor private financial problem compared with the Chancellor's Uk economy and ‘baby Cotton’ is passed over to its buyers

Awake on a very cold morning with a hard frost on the ground. Debbie camps in bed with me reading from her book as I help her with the difficult words. After a warm morning tea, I get the paper and scan the morning’s stories. They report that the baby born to the UKs first surrogate mother has been granted in custody by the High Court to the American parents that bought her. Calls for an early law to ban this prostitution of human life will now increase. Down to a breakfast of very ripe melon and only half a slice of toast and honey. Debbie’s friend Emma was dropped off to join us for breakfast and afterwards Dad took the two little girls to school. I lay in to complete the paper before up and dressed, arriving at the office rather late at 9.45am and relieved to see that no incoming calls had occurred. A busy morning contacting Skipper Boats and the Jersey Silver Springs Hotel to try to sort out some personal arrangements; then to clear up some papers and try to get some BMMG action items out of the way.

I use Prestel to transfer a further £500 to our Bank of Scotland account and then, after reconciling my Barclays account, send Diana off with instructions to transfer some money to Barclays in St Neots from our Abbey National Building Society – the management of our cash continues to be quite a problem! Interest received today from our 3% 1987 Treasury Stock, but Diana paid it into Daniels account by accident. I learn this over lunch to my chagrin and also the news from the City completes my bad mood. The government has intervened to reintroduce the Minimum Lending Rate (MLR) for the first time since 1981 and at a rate of 12%. All the clearing banks follow suit and base rates rise from 10 ½ % to 12%, which is a great disappointment to industry and economic growth prospects. This afternoon back to the office and several phone calls to Nigel Smith, Martin Islewood and the BMMG office to complete preparations for the BMMG Seminar next week. Also to Roy Fuscone of the NEDO Consumer Electronics office to tender my apologies for next Friday’s Hobby Micro Meeting, though I can send a nominee. As darkness falls, I have no trouble today in calling the ducks in, feeding them and putting them away – having no competition in feeding them. In to a fine tea of grilled trout after a short trip to town to sort out the building society accounts and drop off some mail to Carlton Lowe at Comart. Daniel got sent to bed for telling Debbie worrying stories about a man under her bed. News tonight that the high interest rates have not stopped the pound falling to a new low of $1.11, hit by worries of the oil price collapse and the continuing miner’s strike. Ted Heath, David Steel, Roy Hattersley all make hay and give the Chancellor a hard time in the House of Commons. The markets are still confused by ambiguous statements and the lack of a UK government exchange rate policy. Baby Cotton was handed to the American purchasers as the only and best step open for the baby’s welfare, the Judge has said tonight. In India, the English cricket team lead the Indians in their first innings with only one wicket down. Weather forecasts tonight of widespread severe frosts and persistent snow.