CHAPTER 28:

Thinking back to all the things happening in the business, I was able to reflect on some of the personal things going on during that time too. Although I’m a very private person and totally consumed by my business, I do have a life outside (sometimes).

Having had my right knee replaced some years ago & various back operations (I blame my early rugby career as a very large, believe it or not, 15 year old), in Spring 2017 I had my right hip replaced. As anyone who knows me I’m never been one for sitting still and therefore

I struggled to do what I was told by way of rehabilitation, supposedly at least 6 weeks.

It soon became apparent that the surgery was successful & I came back into the business very quickly. Unfortunately, our Mini Pinscher passed away at the grand old age of 16. I’m sure many of you have been growled at or bitten by him at some time during those 16 years! He was my best friend in so many ways.

But good news followed because in October ‘18, our daughter Katy got married in New York where she’d been living for some years. We flew out for her wedding, Edward on a plane just behind ours (well if the Royal Family don’t fly together, why should we?).

When we returned from New York we started to think about the lovely suburb my daughter lived in and consequently we made the decision to move home from Central London to the North London suburbs, a massive decision after 25 years of taxis to the office, restaurants on our doorstep & all the other things associated with living & working in the Centre of London.

It took over a year to sell at a price reflective of the downturn in property prices.

However, as luck would have it we found a lovely penthouse apartment in a quiet part of North West London, 2 terrace/balconies, South facing and parking for 2 cars, and the best bit, close to Edward & all our (4) grandchildren. We moved at the end of January 2020 just after my wife Bonnie had an operation on her foot, & it turned out to be the perfect location for what was about to happen. (But that’s another chapter!)