Just back from a hugely energetic room full of 4N networkers enjoying breakfast at One Kew Road, Richmond. So many people to talk to that I’m bound to go back to meet them properly next time. Have made a date to go to the Hammersmith meeting on Tuesday, too. That will make two ‘Full English’ in one week! Disaster for waistline and cholesterol but brilliant for the brain.

I’ve joined 4Networking which seems to have been a good move.  Lots of different branches to visit for breakfast at the civilised hour of 8 a.m. Lots of different people to meet and my membership is already paying dividends.  One important reminder from a fellow member today is to keep this website up to date!  More next week.

Not my usual sort of post, but please follow this link if you, or anyone you know, might be interested in buying a simply gorgeous house in south west France.  It belongs to very good friends who would love to sell it to someone who relishes the peace and charm of this beautifully restored Maison Maitre.  Fabulous pool and views to delight you.  Click http://www.bolton-by-bowland.com/sauboires.htm and you’ll see what I mean.

If you’re a news junkie you can’t have missed me last week.  BBC Radio London, BBC London News, Daily Telegraph and BBC Breakfast!  What a cornucopia of media attention for a Chiswick marketing consultant. The reason for this celebrity?  The King’s Speech.  Despite the spin put on Lionel Logue’s speech therapy for George VI in the movie, The King’s Speech, it turns out that perhaps his speech impediment was not as ‘cured’ as we are led to believe.  Back in 1941 my father, then a lowly sound engineer at the BBC, was called on to edit out the fluffs...

Some are avid networkers, others avoid it like the plague.  I’m in between.  But yesterday’s do at Sam’s Brasserie was definitely one of the better events I’ve attended.  I met some genuinely interesting people with whom I think I can do business.  Conversation was eased by the most exquisite canapes I’ve EVER had! Sam Harrison and his team run a great neighbourhood bar and brasserie and I’m lucky enough to have them right next door.  Mulling this over later led me to realise how very important (for me, at least) is the location of one’s business...

I’ve always been an Hispanophile, but nothing prepared me for the glory of Seville.  I can’t imagine why I’ve never been there before, but I know I shall certainly go again. If you’ve been to Seville, read no further.  But if somehow, like me, you’ve missed it up until now, read on then book your flight. The city is physically astounding - stunningly beautiful whichever way you turn.  Despite being Spain’s fourth city, it has an intimate feel and is warm and welcoming.  My visit was in March when the trees in the streets were laden with orange blossom - the...

To Murrayfield on Saturday for the lacklustre England Scotland Calcutta Cup match.  Despite a distinct lack of oomph on the pitch, Edinburgh itself was in very fine form.  The sun shone without a break from early till late and I was happy to join the thousands of visitors wandering round this very fine city until it was time to repair to the pub for some pre-match socialising. Popped into the National Gallery of Scotland which is probably the most delightful, small gallery I’ve ever been in to and was surprised and delighted to find Canova’s Three Graces there - surely one of the...

Unless we’re very unlucky, we’re all more family-focussed at this time of year. Even if we’re merely reconnecting by sending a card, our extended families are in our thoughts. To a certain extendt the tradition of following one’s parents’ footsteps into the family business has disappeared, though it still gladdens my heart to see the legend ‘family butcher’ or ‘John Smith & Sons’ above a business premises. Family business can be great - or ghastly. We’ve all watched with horrid fascination the television series’ showing family...

Am enthusiastically reading Guy Clapperton’s book “This is social media” which reminds me only too forcefully to keep this blog up to date! So far the book is impressive - so much so that I sat engrossed in it during my visit to the hairdresser today, rather than reading ‘Heat’ magazine. I’m familiar with blogging, Facebook and LinkedIn, but haven’t got round to activating my Twitter account yet. And the mysteries of uploading content onto YouTube still evade me. But Guy is going to change all that. Watch out for updated blogs from now on!

Off to the Midlands last weekend for a family party.  During the journey we realised that there must be some serious identity  problems amongst the residents of West Mercia - plainly something in the air means that they are incapable of remembering their own names or initials.  At least two cars in every three sported a number plates spelling out these important personal details!  It was, in the correct sense of the word, remarkable (and incidentally revealed how proportionately fewer people in the south east tend to indulge in this bit of harmless - though expensive - fun these days). En...