A short break with some hard work - painting 9 doors and a wall in the Touraine and the repaired conservatory in London, followed by a very short visit to Portsmouth before returning to Paris. Marketing and sales continued though!
Another piece of French culture - Chez les Ch’tis - a kind and amusing look at the north of France by locally born comedian Dany Boon. As John Lichfield said in the English newspaper The Independent: ‘Pity the pauvre biloute (poor bloke) who has to subtitle it into English’.
Stayed in London for business meetings and a conservatory repair then back to Brussels to pack up and return to Paris by car.
Eurostar to London to meet my partner, a cousin and his wife (not seen for 41 years!) and a close friend for Sunday lunch. CHL has no commercial link with Eurostar but without it, business for CHL in the three capitals would have been a lot less easy!
Mar 2008
Finale to contract in Brussels with synchronizing speech recordings with six presentations and web site updates (see TeamSite).
More progress in the Touraine with a kitchen and a videophone.
Nephew has a son making your editor a great uncle!
Completed Business Plan, Annual Report & Newsletter.
Splendid dinner with my partner and friends in Tremelo and a weekend in Paris. Very good evening in Bercy for St Patrick’s day special event for all the Celts - memories of Ireland in 2006.
Another video - this time on Interwoven TeamSite and updating Service Announcements on the portal (see Training videos).
Continued the busy work period with the 5-year Business Plan, Annual Report for last year, latest Newsletter and Reports plus web site updates as normal. Lots of new graphics in Visio.
Surprise dinner with a fellow technical writer - met in Rennes (see News 2005) and now in Brussels - ‘très convivial’.
The usual rushed visit to London for dinners with friends and the mass of mail, bank reconciliations, end of month accounts, house cleaning and gardening.
Feb 2008
Started editing / updating the 5-year business plan.
Theatre visits in Paris - Brazilian dance and ‘Diner des Cons’ with Dany Boon & Arthur - entertaining.
Installed and started experimenting with Paint Shop Pro 12 while still using Photo Shop CS2 for a client - interesting differences.
Completed Newsletter and distributed to a waiting public.
Developed and distributed a short video on software tool to back up Outlook files.
Preparation of Outlook templates for announcements, requests.
Another excellent visit to the Touraine to see the family and the newly installed kitchen and bathroom tiling.
Lots of ‘exciting’ web updates - acronyms, glossary and assigning page ownership as well as updating the navigation a few times.
Additions and changes causing some delays to the latest Newsletter and monthly reporting on project work.
Jan 2008
Starting to introduce the scene and activities to the new incumbent who will take over the role I have been fulfilling with a series of interim projects.
Masses of feedback and minor corrections on the newly launched web site, announcements and reporting as well as more research on IFRS and the December/January Newsletter.
London for the 2007 year accounts and the audit, followed by the report, checking and signing.
Busy first week back in meetings and updating presentations with the management team for the finale at the end of the week for a local and a remote audience.
Back to Paris for a long weekend and the return to Brussels.
Sending 2008 New Year wishes and restarting computer work.
Starting the year in the Touraine with the planting of a present - a Brugnon tree (a cross of a peach and an apricot). One of my favourites but suspect at least a year or two’s wait before this tree bares any fruit.