My friends will tell you that I'm a bit of a saddo and it is the tragic case that in recent years I seem to have developed a habit of working all weekend in the run-up to MIPIM. I always find the weekend before MIPIM calls for hard work: feeling the need both to rev up as much business as I can for the week ahead and to clear my in-tray on the more routine stuff before I go. When I woke on Saturday morning to learn that George Osborne was to announce the establishment of 10 Enterprise Zones for the UK, well ahead of the Budget for Growth (we all had money on EZs being announced on 23rd March) I knew this year would be no exception, so I set to and wrote a few press releases. And, sure enough, I was round at my old mum's having a nice cup of coffee when I got the tug from the Daily Telegraph: would I write a piece in support of EZs, please, for Monday's paper. My retort, naturally, was: did Nixon know? (This is a very ancient joke, albeit one that I love: I just chucked it in there to see which of you oldies are paying attention) and quickly nipped home to file some copy.
I didn't tell 'imself what I was up to, despite constant remonstrations to "join the family and the human race" for a few hours before I legged off to France, partly because it would have made him cross, and partly because he buys the Daily Telegraph (mainly for the crossword, it has to be said I would imbue his choice with any political intent or comment on news content). I have this fond idea that he will be quietly sipping his morning beverage gearing up for his conference calls today, when he turns the page and sees the missus smiling up at him. Blimey, that'll make him choke on his cup of tea! The kids are in on the joke - as is the septuagenarian mother. I'll let you know if he spat his tea all over the breakfast table. Ahhhhh!!!! It is little things that make the world go around.
Continue reading Seizing the day.
