Baby Steps

I've been thinking about baby steps recently. Someone said we must proceed with caution on a new project and used 'baby steps' as the analogy. I wasn't sure that was the right approach as it came from a position of fear and caution. And usually that position leads to inertia. Nothing gets done and we describe our progress as 'baby steps'.

But baby steps are anything but cautious. Let's have a look...


Thinking back to my own daughter as a tiny toddler making that transition from crawling to walking, what struck me was that her baby steps were a perfect analogy for any new project, not because they were cautious, but because they were bold and brave.

Thinking about that, the first thing I noticed was that to make those first steps, a baby will embrace trial and error. This is something most project teams need to get those ideas and initiatives off the ground.

And how many times have you seen a nappy-clad toddler wobble two steps and collapse onto their bum, only to get right back up and try again? Failing small and failing often is a fundamental part of the learning process for that child, as it should be for any project or business team. After all we learn more from our mistakes than our successes.

And once that toddler has grasped the concept of combining balance and motion, guess what? They're off! And there's no stopping them. The number of times we had to run to the stairs or fireplace to ensure her safety was ridiculous, but it demonstrates how babies have no fear once they start to make those first awkward steps. Once they figure out, through mentorship and assistance from us as parents, where the dangers are, they adapt to their environment, continuously improving until success becomes second nature. 

So yes, the project group should take baby steps. But in reality this means:

...Relentless trial and error until success is in sight.
...Embracing a culture of testing & trialling so that failing small but often leads to learning and adapting.
...Bouncing back quickly from any mistakes or missteps.
...Proceeding with courage, rather than fear since fear leads to inertia. 

As you can see, Baby Steps are important, but not for the reasons most people think. 

And remember, even a journey of a thousand miles begins with just a few small steps. Usually brave and usually bold.


Is your marketing strategy in your employee's pocket?

In case you're wondering why I believe Social Business to be absolutely crucial to your marketing strategy, just think about this: In the very near future (think months), Social Business will just be referred to as Business, simply because everyone will be doing it as a normal course of their communication strategy.

 Apple's iPhone is a great example to illustrate what I mean.
Steve Jobs was laughed at for predicting the end of physical buttons back in 2007.

When it first came out, the handset was referred to by the industry as a 'Smartphone'. As more competitors rushed to catch up, the smartphone became more universal. Along with Samsung Galaxy's, Nokias and Androids, today they are just referred to as 'phones'. (Funnily enough the old style mobiles are now called 'Feature Phones'. How ironic.)

 Don't believe me?...


Today, most phones sold in the UK look like this:

So what does all this mean for your business? Well just remember that pretty much every chef, every waiter and every manager in your business has one of these in their pocket. 

 As do most of your customers. 

 Now THAT is a massive opportunity that Social Networking can give your business. You can't run from it, so you'd better embrace it before everyone else does.

 What are you waiting for?

Social Media and Social Business: Distant cousins

Over the past few months I have been very lucky to meet some key thought leaders in digital marketing and chat with them over pizza about latest happenings in the world of Social Media and Social Business. There is certainly some astounding stuff happening at the bleeding edge of innovation, but for one reason or another, I haven't written about it up to now. Hopefully this will go some way to putting that right before I stop being invited for that inspirational banter. Or pizza. Which wouldn't be very social at all.

The first question I guess is What is social media? 

We need a starting point, so let's begin with a loose definition of what social media communication looks like for most people, although this is changing faster than I can type.

Many colleagues and friends I talk to are very confused with all the brands they hear about. 'There is so much Facebook this and Twitter that', they tell me as they shrug their shoulders and in the end they give up before they've even tried to understand. 'Tis better not to engage, than to look foolish, seems to be the logic.

To be fair, I can't blame them, so perhaps this image might help to illustrate the various channels that most people are communicating through currently. And apologies for the uncouth spelling. Ugh. No really, 'ugh' is missing from every doughnut...


Now that's not an exhaustive list. My daughter for example, uses Snapchat and Kik as her social networks of choice. (No, I don't either.) Nor does it include Blogger, Wordpress or Tumblr (recently bought for $1.1B by Yahoo) which are kinda like personalised websites people like me use to write blogs (derived from the word 'weblogs'). This post you are reading is hosted on the Google-owned blogging platform Blogger.

What then, do we mean by Social Business?

This is a little more difficult to explain, but essentially it is similar to what a person would do in the above scenarios, but in the context of a business or brand talking to it's customers, stakeholders (think suppliers or employees for example) and each other. 

Please remember this is not a full answer to the question posed, just a starting point to get the conversation moving. First however, let's take a look at another graphic that I picked up from Sarah Duncan's blog promoting her fab little consultancy called Sleeping Lion. (Lions. I know, right?) It certainly correlates nicely with the previous image and helps to give some direction on how you might use social media in your business. 

I'm sure the Swindon factoid is tongue in cheek, but you get the idea...

In the next few posts I am going to try and explain more fully what I mean by 'Social Business', why this is such a perplexing challenge and most importantly, why this is so crucial to your business today.

Don't wait for National Waiters Day: Get involved now.

“Anyone can cook and anyone can serve, but it takes time to nurture that into a talent.”
These were the words of a very smartly-attired waiter from The Landmark Hotel as he nervously addressed the gathering above a post office in Baker Street at the Continental Chef Supplies showroom for the launch of National Waiters Day. In attendance were a number of guests representing the Hospitality industry, the Springboard UK charity and some of the sponsors who have helped in getting the venture off the ground, not least our own company BaxterStorey since our Chairman Alastair Storey has personally supported the initiative from day one.

The team from The Landmark Hotel who really demonstrated what good looks like in our industry.
The brainchild of Fred Sirieix, General Manager of Galvin at Windows, on the 28th floor of of the Hilton at Park Lane, the event due to take place on Sunday 23rd of June is to raise the profile of all the brilliant Front of House people who work in Hospitality and often get forgotten in our rush to pay homage to the Celebrity Chefs gracing our screens these days. Think about it; without the waiters, the chefs would just oversee buffets!

There are lots of fun events booked all over the country in the lead up to the big day culminating in a hugely entertaining Waiters race around Brunswick Square. 
Matt Johnson, MD, Bunzl Catering & Hospitality Division

I went along in my capacity as a newly-minted Springboard Ambassador to support my colleagues. There was certainly great interest in our BaxterStorey version of Fred's board game 'The Art of Service' which we use as training tool.

It would have been great to see a few more attendees at the launch itself, but these are early days and already it has captured the collective imagination of some of the biggest names in the industry. In any case, by live-tweeting the presentations (search for #nationalwaitersday), I was able to involve lots of people who couldn't be there in person. Certainly it generated lots of replies and retweets. The magic of Twitter! 

Well done Fred on a fantastic initiative. You may be at Galvin’s, but you’ve actually galvanised the entire industry around a noble idea: that waiting tables is a profession just as much, if not more, than cooking is.
The Art of Service, the fun role playing board game by Fred Serieix

Please visit the National Waiters Day website for inspiration on putting on an event or to take part in the race itself. You might want to put a special table in your canteen or workplace cafe that offers a 'posh' service. Or if you're more upmarket, then why not invite your senior management - or chefs! - to get involved in serving some of your customers. Any activity that raises the profile of our industry is a step in the right direction.

What has the Institute ever done for us?

A rather flippant title which paraphrases the old Monty Python scene in Life of Brian, but it underlines my basic premise here that you only get out of something what you put in.
Although I only joined earlier this year, the Institute of Hospitality has been a little bit of a revelation for me. The networking opportunities, the chance to discuss and share industry trends and business latest with like-minded professionals and ultimately, having a forum where I can put something back into the industry, are some of the main reasons why I enjoy being a member. In short, it's that satisfaction of being part of something really worthwhile that counts and I happen to like what the Institute of Hospitality stands for and the people it represents.

But not all members are made in the same mould and I suspect there are one or two who begrudgingly fire off the annual cheque and wonder what good it has done them beyond a quarterly magazine and a shiny plastic card in the post. From one end of the year to the next, they shy away from attending events or spreading the Insitute's message. Whether or not they can be encouraged to participate more, I'm not sure. I guess at least they are sending in a cheque. And I know that it is gratefully received, so please keep doing that.

With this in mind, I was very interested at the Annual Lunch to hear two or three different conversations on the challenge of attracting new members. As an organisation, the Institute has a lot to offer, but I have a feeling that not too many people in the wider industry are aware of what it is or what it sets out to achieve. People who don't have the words Hotel or Director on their business cards for example. Or don't even have business cards for that matter. Although from what I have seen, this does look set to change with some renewed energy.

Now, if you’re not a member and wondering what it is the Institute does, then go to their website here and have a look. It’s a professional body that offers training resources, industry guidance, personal development and the most fantastic networking opportunities imaginable to really boost your career prospects, business credentials and industry profile.  Whether you are a student (especially if you are a student!), a manager or an entrepreneur, I would urge you to consider becoming a member. And if you’re still not convinced, then give them a call to see if there is an event happening near you. Go along and see what you think. And whatever you do, make sure you follow them on Twitter (@IoH_Online).

If however, you are currently a Member or Fellow of the Institute reading this, don’t pat yourself on the back too soon, because (upstart that I am) I have a challenge for you. Why not pay it forward? I am sure you have been rewarded by your membership over the years, but the Institute needs new members and revitalised energy in the pipeline. Why not pick out an aspiring and talented younger member within your team and reward them by sponsoring their first year’s membership fee. Get them involved, get them motivated and get them talking about the Institute’s good work. That small contribution could make such a big difference to the future of the Institute. More importantly, it could make a profoundly big difference in the future of their lives.

It’s what you put in that determines what you get out. So perhaps the title of my post should have been ‘What have you done for the Institute lately’?

Uncharted territory and a man with Compass

As the Institute of Hospitality Annual Lunch concluded, we had an opportunity to mingle for a few minutes and I have to thank my friend Melvin Gold FIH (a fine Hotel Consultant who can be contacted here for the best of industry advice. You’re welcome Melvin.) for calling me over to introduce someone he thought I should meet. Knowing I work within Foodservice Catering, he must have enjoyed the look on my face as I found myself shaking hands with Ian Sarson, the Group MD of Compass UK & Ireland. 

Ian Sarson, MD, Compass UK & IRE
Now, for anyone reading this who may be unfamiliar with our industry, Compass is the largest Foodservice Caterer in the UK employing 50,000 people in the sector today. Globally speaking, Compass is the 11th largest employer in the world. So needless to say, I was chuffed at the opportunity to meet and chat with one of the key leaders within our industry.

We talked about the challenges we faced along the way as he mentioned the Disney contract he oversaw many years ago in Hong Kong around the time I was opening my operation in Kathmandu. Coming back to the challenges of today, I thought it was funny, in an ironic way, that we both stood looking at the same crossroads. The road to contract catering Nirvana was traditionally found on the highway of client satisfaction. Now the industry faces a left turn towards retail and direct customer appeal and a right turn off the beaten track towards social media engagement between employees, customers, clients and stakeholders. Suddenly size is not the advantage it used to be and there are certainly no shortcuts.

But here’s the great thing about hospitality and events such as this. Rather than a stilted conversation with no common ground, we both talked about starting out as chefs in the business and how important it was to understand the fundamentals of your craft if you are to progress up the ladder. With a little hard work and perhaps a pinch of luck, the opportunity is there to progress to the very highest levels. This is an industry that rewards the go-getters from every walk of life and Ian Sarson exemplifies this.

Whichever respective roads we take, it was certainly a pleasure to meet Mr. Sarson along this one and I thank him for being so generous with his time. On occasions like this, you can just go along for the lunch, but it’s better to come away with some great food for thought.

Setting tables to setting standards: the Hospitality Assured lunch

A nicely weighted envelope arrived on my desk a few weeks ago. A rare thing in this digital age. In it was a very nice note from Peter Ducker FIH, the Chief Executive of the Institute of Hospitality, inviting me to the Institute’s Annual Lunch at The Lancaster Hotel on the 29th of May. He said it was in recognition of my contribution as a judge at the Passion4Hospitality Student Debate. In any case a very unexpected, if pleasant surprise for which I am most grateful.
At last the day arrived and on a grey overcast morning in London, I ventured in and took my seat at the Annual General Meeting which was convened an hour before lunch. Although attendance to this is not obligatory, I was keen to get a better understanding of the Institute and the committee members who have shaped it into what it is today. I did find the proceedings very formal, almost to the point of sedentary, but I suspect this belies the hard work and debate that goes on behind the scenes. Certainly it gave me a snapshot of the institute’s challenges and opportunities ahead. In business-like manner the Agenda was judiciously dispensed, proposals were seconded and as lunch loomed, the ayes eventually had it. ‘No scandal’, quipped one member as we got up from our seats.


Peter Ducker FIH

At the pre-lunch reception we were greeted by very friendly service staff proffering Champagne and delicate little canapés. What a great first impression. Catching up with old friends and making new ones is always a highlight on such occasions. Eventually as the chatter became more animated (Champagne does that, I find), our Toastmaster reassuringly announced that Lunch was now served. Finding my table, it was only when I got introduced to my fellow diners that I began to realise the sheer breadth of talent that turned out to celebrate our industry on this occasion. Sitting next to me for example, was Anna-Marie Dowling, the General Manager of the Sofitel Hotel at Heathrow Terminal 5. She oversees a massively busy operation with her team of 390 staff. Just last week they had an unexpected influx of 600 air passengers left stranded as a result of the runways being closed. The hotel was already full, so that was quiet a challenge.

Superb food at The Lancaster

The food at The Lancaster was absolutely superb and only matched by the super-friendly and efficient service. Only later, we found out we had been ‘guinea pigs’ as part of an elaborate initiative to include other ‘non F&B’ departments from around the hotel in the service of our meal that day. So HR, payroll and the other department heads stood shoulder to shoulder with the waiters and waitresses. This was a great team-building exercise and for the Hotel and a chance to showcase their Hospitality Assured values for which they were to win an award later in the proceedings. Speeches were made between courses with the grand finale of the annual Hospitality Assured awards being announced before we had pudding (as we call it here in Oxford). You can read all about the winners here. The people in those operations are certainly a credit to this industry.

Overall, the event was a huge success and the team at the Institute can all feel very proud of a job well done. It was great being in the company of such passionate people and I enjoyed listening to some very different perspectives. What a great boost to morale knowing the industry attracts people like these into it. Funny, now I think about it: a Hospitality Assured lunch to illustrate how the future of Hospitality is indeed assured.


The Winners of the 2013 Hospitality Assured Awards.

If you want to know more about joining the Institute of Hospitality then please call 0208 661 4927 or email membership@instituteofhospitality.org. 
And why not rise to the challenge of gaining the Hospitality Assured accreditation. As someone who has been through the process, I know firsthand that in striving to meet the criteria required, you and your business will benefit in ways that might surprise you.

The small matter of 900 guests. And Sir Edmund.

10 years ago, at 7:30pm on this day, my team were serving canapes and drinks to 900 guests at the British Embassy in Kathmandu. The occasion was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund's amazing feat. There were about 500 Everest Summiteers in attendance and it was being covered by the BBC, CNN and National Geographic. 

Meeting Sir Edmund in private and away from the throng was for me a huge honour and something I will always look back on as a highlight in my life. He was very gracious, especially considering his 82 years and not feeling too well due to his hectic travel schedule. I said a funny line, we shared a laugh and he happily tucked into my Miniature Fish and Chips. A rare treat in a place like Kathmandu.

For this reason, the 29th of May is always a special day for me, but as today is the 60th Anniversary of that achievement - or 'Everest Day' in Nepal - it is even more special than usual.

Sir Edmund Hilary on the 50th Anniversary of his first summit of Everest at the British Embassy, Kathmandu.


"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves"

60 years ago, at 11:30 am on this day, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa achieved the impossible by reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

Here's a nice interactive graphic on that 1953 climb from The Telegraph. Check it out - the diary is fascinating.

 For a fantastic archive of the photos from that expedition such as the one above, check out Everest60.com. Most are available to purchase.

 By the way, there's no picture of Edmund on the summit. Maybe this tweet from @everest53 explains it. (Oh, you have to imagine what Hilary would have written if he had Twitter...)

[Video] Sky F1: Monaco GP by George the Poet

When it comes to marketing and creating that emotional connection with it's audience, nothing even comes close to Formula 1 these days. In case you missed it, take a look at this piece performed by George the Poet that SKY F1 put together for the Monaco Grand Prix which was shown live earlier today. A master stroke in bonding sport, glamour and history into one single point of sheer exhilaration.

 Enjoy.

Borough Market: The Demonstrator's Tale

My colleague Hayden Groves, Executive Chef with BaxterStorey, gave a MasterClass on English Asparagus at Borough Market recently. Here's a little guest piece he wrote on the Borough Market Blog about the experience.
 As my session grew to a close I was loving engaging with the audience, keeping my cooking tips relevant and simple but most of all sending out regular samples to taste. Apparently I also got a first in the three year history of the demo kitchen, an uber polite Japanese gentleman asked to buy one of my dishes, I think he must have been very hungry!
I'd say he was onto something Hayden. Nice one Chef. 

Nine inspiring quotes from Springboard Ambassadors

Thinking about those two days with my BaxterStorey colleagues while we were training to be Springboard Ambassadors, I can't help but be inspired by some of the things they said during their presentations. Here's a few of my favourites:

Presenting to a group of women returning to the world of work:
"Leaving my son with someone else to care for him while I returned to work was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. But I wanted to do the best for him and I needed to continue my career. Soon after joining BaxterStorey, I began to feel valued for being me and not just because a nappy needed changing."

Presenting to a group of 16 year olds:
"As a young lad walking into a kitchen for the first time, I was feeling very nervous. A Sous Chef came over and introduced himself with a firm handshake. We went on to become lifelong friends and he was best man at my wedding."

Presenting to a group of 16 year olds:
"I joined BaxterStorey as an assistant serving coffees. Seven years later I am a Manager in a prestigious law firm in charge of a team of 20 staff."

Presenting to a group of 16 year olds:
"We'll dress you, we'll feed you, we'll pay you. All we ask is that you turn up with bags of enthusiasm and we'll teach you the rest."

Presenting to a group of women returning to the world of work:
"I know as mothers and ladies you are multi-taskers who will do anything for your children and your families. You make them tea or coffee, you give them a cookie and you clear up after them. If you can do that, then I know you will be excellent at Hospitality."

 Presenting to group of unemployed people at a job centre:
"For me, this was the first job I had where I didn't feel like a number. We called our new payroll system 'People Matters' because to us, people matter."

Presenting to a group of women returning to the world of work:
"When I re-visit a unit or site where I've helped out before, I am welcomed back with hugs from the team. It's like being part of a family."

Presenting to a group of 15 year olds at school:
"You might prefer to be revising for that dreaded exam coming up. Or maybe you want to put that off for as long as possible so you came to hear me. Well, if you give me 10 minutes of your time, it just might change your life."

Presenting to a group of undergraduates in their final year of college:
"Why do so many great companies choose BaxterStorey to provide their catering? Because I believe you get out what you put in. And we cook amazing food. Food for intelligence. Food for performance. Food for health and wellbeing. The recipe for our success is very simple. And you can be part of that."

So many great reasons to get into Hospitality. For me, it took only one and it has rewarded me ever since.

Shared Excellency, Springboard Ambassadors

Over the last few months, I have been mulling over how best to use my talent and passion for this industry to somehow 'give something back'. After sounding out some ideas, I was delighted to get an email saying that BaxterStorey was committed to recruiting a number of Springboard Ambassadors from within our business across the UK who could support some initiatives such as National Waiters Day and spread the word about what we do best and the Hospitality sector in general. That seemed like just the ticket for me and promptly signed up for the two days training on offer.
Springboard Ambassadors: (L-R) Scott, Cynthia, Renaud, Joanna, Ewa, Hannah, Kevin, David

Finally, on Tuesday morning we arrived at the gorgeous Blue Fin Building in Southwark. I guess one of the advantages of catering for some of the most prestigious companies in the UK is that you get to visit some stunning venues for your meetings and training. It was great to catch up with my friend (and fellow alumni from the Leadership Academy) Hannah who had travelled down from Nottingham. She's now expecting a baby. Luck girl. Meeting new colleagues within the business is always special and this was no different. Renaud for example was a very suave Frenchman who coaches kid's football on the weekends and David who is a part-time Police Community Support Officer go some way to demonstrating the calibre of professionalism in this roomful of Springboard Ambassadors-in-waiting.

Eventually Eileen, our warm and friendly trainer for the next two days, began the session with two simple questions: Who is our audience? and What effectively 'float's their boat'? If you identify those two aspects at the outset, you will build a very absorbing presentation that will really engage your audience. As Springboard Ambassadors, our target audience groups could be 15 and 16-year-old school children; unemployed people at a job centre; women returning to the world of work or perhaps undergraduates in their final year of college. Each group will be looking for different motivators. For example, friendship and feeling valued will appeal to women returning to work (very much part of our ethos by the way), whereas the potential to meet or look after celebrities might appeal to school leavers. (Some might laugh at that idea, but I still find that to be a huge attraction within this industry and was very honoured to be looking after the Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago.)

During that first day, we had to make a five minute presentation to the group with Eileen giving us feedback, encouragement and guidance on areas of improvement. It was amazing to see nine totally different presentations based around just one set of audience/objectives criteria. Then we were given the dreaded homework: our task was to put together a ten minute presentation aimed at a different sector to be delivered to the group on Day Two. I don't like commuting if I can help it, but on this occasion I was happy to work on my slide deck during the two hour bus ride home and and again on the way back in the next morning. By the time I arrived back in that room, I felt I had something reasonably presentable.

One by one, my colleagues got up and made hugely compelling presentations that reminded me time and again of all the good things we do as a company and what our industry has to offer on the whole. Kevin for example described how he had considered being a van driver when he was leaving school, but his father counceled against it with the immortal phrase: You've heard people say; 'He's a great Chef', but who's ever said; 'He's a great van driver!'?

With this in mind, Kevin went on to catering college, but found he preferred the role of Waiter instead of cooking. Working his way up the career ladder, he now looks after the Executive Dining Rooms within the headquarters of a very large bank. And then Kevin said something very powerful.... "When the Chief Executive of the Bank is sitting down to lunch, he needs to present an image of responsibility and care on behalf of the Bank. Therefore the manner in which the lunch is served must reflect that. During those few minutes, the waiter presents the image the bank wants to convey to those guests. Professional and caring." Now that carries a lot of responsibility.

Eventually, we finished up our course and set off back home with aspirations of encouraging lots of new people to join our great sector. My enduring thought for anyone considering a career in Hospitality, is to remember Kevin's story. He chose to be a Waiter who delivers a great guest experience every day instead of just a van driver who simply makes deliveries. That's a journey worth taking.



If you want to get involved in volunteering as a Springboard Ambassador, contact Kerry Mabbley, Head of Ambassadors at Springboard UK on 07916 758775 or email her: kerrym@springboarduk.org.uk.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

I haven't checked in with you in a few weeks, so here's a catch up with what's been happening. Every now and then a few things come along like proberbial buses that just tie up your diary putting life on hold for a while. In my case, they have all been very worthy projects or commitments and I will be sharing those with you in the next few posts. 

 In any case, here's a few:

  • Applying for a Savoy Educational Trust MBA Scholarship at Cranfield University.
  • Training to be a Springboard Ambassador with Springboard UK on behalf of BaxterStorey.
  • Speaking at Conference Oxford about the benefits of working with a Foodservice Caterer and using Twitter to promote your venue or event.
  • The Professional Speaking Association continues to be a fantastic journey of discovery. The monthly meetings I attend in Reading never cease to amaze me in terms of inspiration and sound business advice from the best Speakers in the country.
  • Social Business: I have been really lucky recently to be invited to a couple of brilliant events that promote the benefits necessity of implementing a deeper level commitment to digital media within your organisation if it is to thrive.

A double rainbow on my walk home from work last week.
My running took a back seat as a result, ony managing a few half-marathons in the last few weeks. However, since I am now signed up to the Ealing Half Marathon in October and hope to get into the Oxford Half Marathon, I don't want to put it off too much. (And that weight-loss goal of 72Kgs still beckons.)
Which just leaves my day job! Well, this continues to be very rewarding with lots of events and intiatives to provide a rich pallette of challenges and rewards. My team have been so fantastic at what they do, that they have allowed me the confidence to put myself way outside my comfort zone with some of my other commitments. (Nothing like the prospect of a five minute presentation at an MBA panel interview to get you hopping out of bed in the morning.)

 I guess at this point I really should say a big thank you to my Clients (you know who you are!) for being so generous and supportive. My three years at St. Cross College have been absolutely fantastic so far... and long may it continue. My line managers too have been hugely supportive. It really does make a difference.

 Of course none of the above would be possible without the love and support of my wife and our beautiful daughter who turned 12 last week. Even now as I type, the wonderful aroma of a Full English breakfast under the grill is wafting through from the kitchen on this Bank Holiday weekend. A long time ago, it would have been to cure a hangover. Ha! How times have changed....