Work work work Tuesday 16th, Wednesday 17th,,Thursday 18th.

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Tuesday started with lunch with Scouser Steve George. I hadn't really expected to see him, but he lives in Chiswick not far from Andy and Dee and so I dropped him a line. As he also works in Chiswick, he was able to pop out for a lunchtime snack - by which I obviously mean pint.

He worked for Verizon in Sydney until a couple of years ago when he decided to move home and start a family. He’s working for a company specialising in delivering media to mobile phones. Yes. Obviously. Porn. Like any other part of the internet, it’s boobies that make the world go round. Bless ‘em.

Lunch took a little longer than expected, and left me without enough time to get to the Tate, so I pottered around a bit then got the tube to Embankment and by the time I got there it was dark.

The gap between sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening is worryingly brief, I’d forgotten just how bad it was.

Had a look in a couple of shops and was amazed to walk out of one and bump into Alison, an old school friend who I’ve not seen for several years since she was in Sydney (well, apart from on the TV). Very funny to see her - I think I’m seeing all the rest of her family when I’m up in Richmond, so she completed the set of Mowbrays. In keeping with the general theme of my trip, we went to a pub. Only time for a quick chat - she had shopping to do for a trip to South America that starts tomorrow - so I wished her on her way, a lovely chance event.

Further wanderings took me through Holborn and Chancery Lane - scene of my working life for 3 years. Every pub along the way held some dubious memories, the thought of which kept me amused as I walked. The Christopher Hatton, Penderel’s Oak, The Cittie of Yorke, there were quite a few within striking distance. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to duck in to the Griffin, but it’s something I have to do before I leave.

I was due to meet Stuart at St Pauls, at a bar recommended by City Boy Mark. I got there early but felt too underdressed to go through the door, it was full of Suits spending their xmas bonuses (a round in there would probably about do it this year). I waited for Stu and we went round the corner to somewhere marginally more downmarket. He’s always been an enthusiastic chap, full of the joys of spring whatever the weather, and after an hour or so with him Mark and Simon turned up too, done with their day of corporate exploitation or whatever it is they actually do. They all seemed happy enough, with life if not with work. Their lives have all become more complicated / fulfilled? since I was last here - weddings, births, engagements etc, and we had a good old yarn over a predictable few drinks, really nice to see them all. I’m not sure we’d all been in the same place since we played golf in Ireland well over 5 years ago, scene of magnificent win of the ‘coq de la chocolate’………

Felt a bit bad rolling back to the Hoskin household quite late but Andy was still up for a nightcap.

Wednesday was a big old trip down memory lane. We drove to Reading, to my old office, for a day’s work. It really felt strange as I walked through the door - even though there were quite a few familiar faces there were also an awful lot of people I didn’t recognise.

Did a fair bit of constructive work, had a few genuine meetings with a few people, but also spent a lot of time sitting on the corners of people’s desks recounting, and hearing, the stories of the last 5 years.

I failed to present Gabs with her signed blog copy, but strangely enough she didn’t seem to mind or even remember. Saw all the bid guys, Globalink and access strategy……….we were still in the office at almost 7pm, crazy huh?

After a mad dash to the laundrette to dry some clothes, it was time to leave Andy and Dee to it. 3 days is as long as I’ll stay with someone, if possible (sorry Gareth / Sally - you were the exception to the rule). Ricky’s mum’s phrase is ‘fish and friends go off in 3 days’ and this is a line I agree with, no matter how good a friendship is it’s best to give people a bit of space. Hosko gave me a lift to my nearby hotel, and I checked in and had - oh yes! Would you believe it! - a quiet night in with some good old British TV.

British TV it seems is not what it used to be. I looked for the BBC but found about 8 versions - for kids, for teens, for news, BBC 3 and 4……..and I had no real idea what most of them were aimed at. ITV was the same, multiple channels have sprung up. I felt a bit lost, and just mindlessly channel-surfed till I fell asleep.

Thursday was also a working day, at the switch site in the City, and my European counterparts had arranged a team meeting for most of the London folks, with the whole European team dialling in for an end of year chat. I even gave them a quick presso of the APAC organisation - we speak to each other occasionally but our teams have been brought into the same management structure recently and I think it’ll do us all good to share more ideas and information.

Didn’t take too long before the team meeting became a Christmas drink at the Crown Tavern round the corner. There was a top quality barmaid but whilst I tried to make some smalltalk she was sadly too busy to share more than a few words and I didn’t even get her name, so I guess she doesn’t count.

An old Uni mate - Detective Chief Inspector Dawson - was passing through London and managed to call in for an hour, yet another mate I haven’t seen in many years. I’m not sure I’ve seen him since his wedding, a memorable night in many ways topped off (for me at least) when at 5am I burst into his parents unlocked bedroom carrying a bottle of champagne, waking them up in dramatic fashion and probably scaring the cr@p out of them. If only I’d have had the presence of mind…..”Me……the 15th Duke of Wimbourne……….with a bottle of champers in a married couple’s bedroom at 5am…………whatever were they thinking”.

Instead of anything clever, I think I just mumbled an apology and ran like hell.

Alex and I shared a few stories, new and old. It was funny that we met near the site of my old favourite nightclub - Turnmills. We shared a few good nights in there, sadly it closed down a few months ago and looks a bit desolate these days. Scene of many antics in days gone by. Anyhow, he seems delighted with the world at the moment, despite spending his life chasing crims around and nicking people.

The night decayed rapidly into a rather large evening. Leda - an old colleague - made a brief appearance. Kevin - who moved from Sydney to the UK last year - came along for a couple, Ade, Niall and Steve were along from the meeting……all good. We wound up in a different pub - The Castle I think at Farringdon - then our favourite old haunt ‘The Raj’ for a right good curry. MmmmmmmmmMadras! Then it was on to the Carlisle in Soho, Steve’s local even though he lives nowhere near Soho - and I finally accepted defeat and got the tube back to the hotel at about 1130.

Things I’ve seen along the way - Opera-singing buskers, tartan tights and hot pants, lots of short skirts despite the cold. The wallet has also moved back to the back pocket, I guess I’ve settled in a bit.

I've had some laptop issues - I think it might be on it's way out, so it's taken till Friday evening to get this posted. I'll write Friday next time, not that there's a greart deal to say - it involves another dodgy meat pie.

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