Mum soon after recovering from her Papworth heart operation
Mum soon after recovering from her Papworth heart operation

Daytime visit to Which Computer Show and lots of British exhibitors and then home on snowy roadsbefore visiting Mum at Papworth whilst she prepares to go home as the RUC shoot a speeding driver and the British hostages are moved in Libya

Awake fairly early as Diana prepared Debbie for another school day. More snow overnight and marks where Paddy and his friends last night had been throwing snowballs at the doves – but they are all right. The morning paper and then down to breakfast of melon and a half slice of toast and honey with my fruit juice. My weight down to 13st 7lbs as I wash afterwards. I get ready and leave for the Which Computer show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. A difficult journey with roads of patched ice and freezing weather affecting my windscreen washers, but I averaged 40mph and arrive about 11.15am. Time to look around the show both morning and afternoon twice.

First, slowly past each stand, talking with past acquaintances and noting the BMMG members exhibiting. I found members Hitech, Selven, Plessey Microsystems, IMTEC, Jarogate, Rair, LSI, Data Dynamics, LDR Systems, DMS, BOS, Systime, Comart, Transam, Kalamazoo and Gemini – 16 exhibiting. Lunch with John Lamb who updates me on the Kode and Comart status and presents me with a Comart video. It seems that the Comart half year has been an improvement on our previous plans and I guess that £250K of profit may have been earned towards Kode International’s target. My own estimate is that KI will equal last year’s profit of £1.1M. I do not see many journalists, except Practical Computing’s editor, but meet up with a few contacts such as the Barclays Hi-tech Unit. Eventually back home on even snowier roads (there had been more snow falling) but first to Papworth to see Mum for the last time before she leaves for home tomorrow. She is alert physically and mentally fitter, but a bit weepy about being further away from us and outside Papworth’s umbrella. Home to watch my Comart video with the family – very impressive and Diana finds it sad that we are no longer involved – before the news and an evening’s television. News today of the Commons row over the economy, with the government undergoing criticisms on grounds of incompetence, and Thatcher defending the Chancellor in question time. The government announce the selling-off of the balance of holdings in British Aerospace and meet charges of selling anything they can get their hands on. The British hostages in Libya are moved to a new location and the Royal Ulster Constabulary are heavily criticised for killing a youth and injuring two others by shooting as they storm a road block in a stolen car. In India, England batsmen hit two double centuries before England exceed 600 runs in a dominant position.