I am off to PJW’s 60th birthday bash. Annette and I arrive at PJW’s lavish estate house in Epsom. Huge marquee dressed as a restaurant, come night club. Black tie event – some 150 people all looking very elegant. Peter greets us very warmly, he looks well and is very relaxed. There are so many ex Direct Line people in attendance – too many to note. All the ex DL regional managers are in attendance (Annette sacked them!). Lots of people come up like long lost friends, some in truth I recognise but can’t remember their names! Many I haven’t seen for literally decades! A few surprise people; Jane Arthur ex Company secretary who now lives in France; Don Lewis ex Board member; Joanne, the housekeeper in Boston, lovely to see her; Martin Long and expectant partner; some people a decade is too soon; Peter Horton for example who wants to discuss the current legal dispute he is in with RBS – please! Michael Winner, who gives quite a decent speech (mostly plugging his new book on slimming – please!). Peter gives a speech, I get mentioned in dispatches, a huge cake is wheeled out and a look alike Diana Ross sings a melody of (her) songs. The Cristal champagne flows all night and people hit the dance flow – not me. Annette and I say our farewells around 1.30 am. I am dropped of home at 2.30 am. On reflection a really good evening which I was initially somewhat apprehensive about but it was good to catch up with lots of people and it was in the moment (not a trip down memory lane!).   more »

Great Britian rugby league team have beaten the Aussies 23-12 in Australia, a tremendous if unexpected result. Brendan comes to Dulwich to watch Australia vs. Wales. After a lunch at the local Italian, where Brendan drinks a lot of water as he is recovering from being lost in action last night, we watch the match at home on the TV. Australia for the first half run Wales ragged and then suddenly the Welsh some how become a different team and really test the Aussies. The result is a good match and finally a draw 25 all. Brendan goes off to Waterloo to catch Eurostar back to Paris and I stay in and watch New Zealand murder England at Twickenham 41-20, England’s heaviest defeat at home. Annette is picking me up to go to PJW's birthday bash - have to get the Black Tie outfit on.   more »