I have been left on my own for nine days. My wife is on holiday in Canada with her mother, two sisters and a family friend. Both of our children have fled the nest and we no longer have a pet. So, I do mean…

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I have just completed another relationship evaluation and improvement programme on behalf of a major UK client, involving interviews with the key relationship owners and with their counterparts in some of the marketing services agencies with which they work. As ever, these privileged conversations revealed past,…

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I have recently returned from a week in Hong Kong. What an extraordinary place, 6,000 miles away, in the heart of Asia and yet with many features that make it familiar to and navigable by a seasoned Londoner.

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Today is 20th March and, as I tap away at my laptop, I am being reminded (informed, in truth) that this is the seventh International Day of Happiness. Yes, in 2013 this day was marked out for an annual celebration of happiness on our planet. In…

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This month’s Campaign magazine features the announcement that Publicis Groupe has introduced flexible working for all UK employees. The reason? In the words of UK CEO Annette King, the intention is to demonstrate commitment to “transforming our working culture” in the belief that “this modern,…

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As I write, I am halfway through Dry January. Fifteen long evenings have passed, another fifteen lie ahead. There is no mid-game break here, no change of ends, no time to recharge. I don’t regard myself as anything like alcohol-dependent but I can’t even contemplate…

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