Taking care and business

It's been quite a day.

Indeed, so much so that, when presented with an emergency cord, I felt inclined to pull it - but held myself back.

Nice gown, though, I'm sure you'll agree.  (I was having a chest X-ray and, surprisingly, they managed to find one).  

But I digress.  

Yes, today the VANBAR associates website finally saw the light of day (as did I, having left the pub just a few minutes ago).

Thank you to all of you nice people who have already had a look and responded kindly on Facebook.  Much appreciated.  If you haven't yet seen it and can be arsed at this time of night, www.vanbarassociates.com is the address you're after or click on THIS LINK.

Also, thanks to those equally kindly folk who have followed us on Twitter via @tweetvanbar  We'll obviously follow you back.

And finally, back to the pub (I wish).  

I was there to meet my pal Dylan who, as I mentioned last week, designed our logo.  It was only fair to buy him a pint.  

And not only that.  Hell no.

I was also able to formally present him with the first ever, delivered-only-this-morning VANBAR associates business card. 

And here it/he is.

   

VANBAR associates wallpaper is already on its way.  Quite possibly. 

Arthur's fouler

Good evening campers, I hope I find you well.  And, not for the first time, let me apologise for my brief period of absence from, er, here.

In truth, I've hardly left my seat.  Literally.

I used to quite like working from home, if only because I tend to get a lot done.  But then it's quite nice to go somewhere else afterwards.

However, over the past seven days, I've been stuck to my laptop in my quest to build the VANBAR associates website.  And when I say "stuck," I kind of mean it.  Washing has not been a huge priority as I've sought to hit my self-imposed deadline of having the website as-near-as-dammit ready for public view by first thing tomorrow morning.

And I can't say I wasn't warned about the dangers of getting grimy.

A couple of weeks ago I had a pint with my mate Gareth, who has also just made the momentous decision to go self-employed.   In a previous life Gareth used to work at home a lot too.  And his experiences led him to offer me a kindly caution.

"Have a shower and get shaved before you sit down to do any work," he said.  "Otherwise you'll end up like Arthur Fowler."  EastEnders fans - I was one of their number back in Arthur's day - will know exactly what Gareth meant.

Sadly, over the past week, I occasionally neglected to heed his sage guidance and ended up both whiffy and feeling on the precipice of madness.

But I'm still just about there now and in a few hours' time the long trek towards global corporate domination gets under way for real as our website, blog, Twitter account and Facebook page all go live.

Needless to say I'll be putting full details up here and will be very keen to know what you think.   I promise I'll be nice and clean by then.

The face of a criminal

"I was in a police van!"

These were the words which greeted me as I walked through our back door this evening.

They came from the lips of the mouth you can see above.

I'd like to say I was surprised, but sadly I wasn't.  Consistent with the DNA of a trainee woman, Charlotte has recently been showing increasing signs of madness, irrationality, unreasonableness, stubbornness and a desire to bully men (i.e. me).  So much so that, for some time, I've felt that a visit from Mr Plod followed by a long period of imprisonment in a lady jail were becoming inevitable.

But no.

It turned out that a Police Community Support Officer had merely popped into her nursery to talk about the dangers of crossing the road.  And whilst there, he'd let Charlotte sit in the front seat of his van.

A lucky escape for Miss White, I say, albeit a short-term one.  A real policeman is bound to be along soon.      

Eager Beaver

Jamie followed in the footsteps of his Great Granddad Jack this evening when he was formally invested into the World Scout Movement at the rank of Beaver.

Jack - my grandfather - was a long-serving Scout Leader back in Coleraine and would have been very proud.  (I only made it into the Church Lads Brigade back in the 1970s which, somewhat surprisingly given its name and the era, wasn't a paramilitary organisation).

A real bonus of Jamie's investiture ceremony, which he went through jointly with his cousin Oliver, was the physical similarly between Scout Leader Steve and HRH The Duke of Kent.

   
Yes, with that and the central role played by the Union flag, it felt like a right Royal occasion.

And afterwards big cousin Jack - who has already reached the lofty heights of Chief Scout - posed for a pic too.

A big night then.  Let's hope Jamie now keeps his solemn promise to Do His Best (or I'll be telling The Duke).  

White Stuff meets Kiddiecal

I love people with a bit of get-up-and-go about them.  Who doesn't?  And I never tire of encountering a new one.

Enter Anna Macauley from Portstewart and the brains (and all else besides) of Kiddiecal, a gem of an idea in website form which she runs from her kitchen.

A loving mum, Anna became a tad frustrated at missing registration dates for swimming lessons for her son.  So, as is the wont of get-up-and-go folk, she decided to do something about it.

Anna took it upon herself to "gather, beg and forage" for all the useful information she could lay her mitts on concerning activities for local children living on or near the North Coast of Northern Ireland,  before sharing what she'd learnt on Kiddiecal.

In its relatively short existence, the website has swiftly become a treasure trove of nuggets for parents, guardians and grandparents in Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart - to the benefit of countless numbers of local children.

Anna has also included a blog on the site.  And, unsurprisingly, it is excellent.  So much so that that, as a means of highlighting how much more useful her musings are in comparison to, for example, the sh*te I write (hey, that rhymes), she kindly invited me to provide a few words as a guest contributor.  You never say no to a Portstewart woman, so I immediately agreed.

You can read my waffle by clicking onto THIS LINK.

And when you've finished, please have a look around the rest of the site.  Prepare to be impressed (and envious if you're a parent not living within sight of the North Atlantic). 

Ice Queen

Don't know about you, but I was cold in bed last night.

So much so that, this morning - after a quick 10 minutes in the microwave set to defrost - I declared that it was time for the winter duvet. 

I didn't regard this as a particularly controversial comment, (an icicle falling from my nose onto my shivering feet as I forced the words out through chattering teeth).

But Vanessa saw things differently.

"We can't put the winter duvet on yet!" she spat (her spit freezing in mid-air before bouncing off the kitchen window)

"Why not?" I replied, genuinely baffled.

"Because if we put it on now, we'll not feel the benefit in January."

Seriously, sometimes I wonder what that woman sprinkles on her porridge. 

If I have many more nights like last night I suspect I'll not be here in January.  Plus, they say snow is already on its way (well, Chris Evans said and he knows people).

So tonight I'm climbing up that drop-down ladder, I'm going into that loft and I shall re-emerge clutching our winter duvet. And then I'm sleeping under it.

Vanessa Frost can snuggle down under a cigarette paper for all I care, because I'm not sharing.

Livin' la Vida Logo

Well, what do you think?

Any new business worth its salt obviously needs a logo.  And thanks to Welsh wizard Dylan, Vanbar Associates now has one of its own.

The V and B are easy to spot.  And the links represent our "associates," whose identities we'll be announcing in the months to come.

Next week will see the launch of our website, blog, Facebook page and Twitter account.

Sure, life would be a dull if you didn't try something a little different.

Stay tuned dear friends.

Lion cubs play ball

A landmark day today as Jamie made his competitive tag rugby debut for Aireborough Lions Under 7s against local rivals, Bingley Bees.

And didn't the boys look smart?

 
Less smart was Aireborough's choice of players to fill a gap in our opponents' numbers.  Because whilst Lions scored almost all of the tries, more of them were playing for Bingley than Aireborough - meaning Bingley won.

 

But these things matter not.

Jamie and his pals on both teams enjoyed themselves.

Coach Daddy was proud of him.

And so was his sister.

 

Let's hope he's still smiling when it rains.

Fall from a great height

There can be few less pleasurable experiences these days than being shot down by an American.  And I've just been blown out of the sky.  

I'm in the final stages of building what, for a little while anyway, will pass for the Vanbar Associates website.  (I'll then let one or two people who actually know what they're doing loose on it and a transformation is guaranteed).   What I now need is the domain name but, to get that, I need to pay for the site to go live and the domain name comes with it.  If you follow me.  I'd understand if not.   

Anyway, I was in the process of entering my credit card details when my heart sank (again.  It's been an up and down week). 

I wanted to pay for a year up front (the minimum period to get a free domain name) and all was going well.  The price came up, I entered my extra 10% discount code (been doing my homework) and was all set to hit the magic "pay" button.  (Magic in the sense that you press it and your money suddenly vanishes).  

But then I noticed a message which ended with "your next bill date will be 10/03/15."

What?!  March?  What happened to my 12 months up front, nothing more to worry about?  I knew thing were progressing too smoothly (apart from the current state of the "webshite" itself, obviously).   

So I got onto to them, emailing the Customer Service desk in New York.  I mean, how dare they?  The cheek of it.  Con merchants the lot of them.  I signed off my rant with: "Not impressed."  That would show them.    

Barely half an hour later, I received the following reply from "Antonia H."  And I think it only fair that you be allowed to read it in full:  

"Hey Barry,

Happy to help!

10/03/2015 is the American way of writing dates, sorry about that. You know they do everything a bit... improper ;)

In real English it means you will be billed again on the 3rd of October 2015, which is in exactly one year from today.

Hope that helps!

Please get back in touch if you have any other questions, we're here for you 24/7! :)" 

I would love to say I've never felt so humiliated but, sadly, I have - many, many times.  But at least I wasn't being diddled.

POSTSCRIPT   

As I was primed to put this up, Vanessa tapped me on the shoulder to ask why I'd emptied the grass cuttings into the recycling bin as opposed to the garden waste bin.  My answer?  I didn't realise I had. 

This working from home lark is all well and good but, next week, I really need to get out more.

Nine months - then yeah baby!

As the nights draw in, the temperature drops and my cabin fever increases as I attempt to reinvent Virgin in the form of Vanbar Associates, it's nice to have something to look forward to.  

And today it arrived.

Yes friends, they've announced the line-up for next summer's Let's Rock Leeds. And it's really rather good.

For the uninitiated, Let's Rock Leeds is an 80s music festival in a day.  And guess what?  It's held in Leeds.

The inaugural event was in June and, as someone who loves a lump of cheese, I thought it was awfully good/goodly awful.  (You know what I mean).

I wrote about it at the time, and was proud to report on the swayings and wailings of Bananarama, Howard Jones, ABC, Nick Heyward and others so memorable I can't remember who they were.

And next year's offering - taking place on Saturday 20 June - promises even more.

Granted, the "headline" act of the bloke from the Thompson Twins (Tom Bailey anyone?) left me a touch underwhelmed.  But the "support" acts lifted me up.  (Do you see what I did there Thompson Twins fans?)

I'm talking Rick Astley.  Go West.  Midge Ure.  Heaven 17 (bit shit, let's keep going).  Five Star (only three remain).  T'Pau (YES!)  Betty Boo (BOO!)  Bucks Fizz (these days we're talking Bobby Gee with some close family members).  The Beat (they sang Can't Get Used to Losing You - I looked it up).  Odyessy (No idea).  Sonia (UGH!)  Sam Fox (now a proud resident of Lesbania).  And Jive Bunny (come on!  Another little joke there if you're interested).

As I prepare to begin the quest for well-paid PR gigs, this is an account I'd be incredibly prepared to do something silly to secure.

But for now, I'm reduced to paying £42.90 for an Early Bird ticket (inc. Booking Fee).

Here's the exclusive "existing customers" link if you're interested in going along - prices go up on 1 November.  (Don't say I never do anything for you).

As last year, you'll find me somewhere near the front drinking pints of wine.

30 days in September

Well, what a month that has been.

Since the early part of this year when my evil plans were being put together, I was looking forward to/dreading September in equal measure.

First there was the Great North Run which, more than three weeks on, I'm genuinely yet to fully recover from.  I actually went for my first canter since then earlier today and it wasn't pretty.  But, hey ho, no ambulance was required which was a real plus.

Then there was the Oliver Turkington Memorial Dinner which, looking back, really could not have gone much better.

Well, I say that.  But I suspect my (unplanned) speech could have gone a little more smoothly.

In fact, if anyone can recall anything of what I said, feel free to let me know.

All I can remember with any degree of certainty was the great Willie John McBride shaking my hand halfway through, bidding me a "good morning" (it was around 1130 pm) and heading home.   Once a legend, always a legend.

And then, of course, this month saw me go part-time at work with the mission of setting up Vanbar Associates, the most exciting new entry into the world of media/public relations and corporate communications since whatever the last one was.

Because of the run, the dinner, a bout of illness and the day job, I've had much less time to spend on our new venture than I'd hoped for. But over the past week or so, I am delighted to report that progress is finally being made.

I've long been of the view that, if you need something done, best have a go yourself first.  But this adage has not previously extended to building websites.  However, last Wednesday I started work on ours and I hope to be in a position to let you have a look in the next seven days.  I must warn you that, at this stage, it is more accurately described as a "webshite" than a website but I'm doing my best.

And, of course, expert help is still very much required in a whole range of different areas if the company is to fly.

Later today I'm meeting my clever techy mate Dylan to discuss our logo.  And I'm also planning to give my lifelong friend Colin a call (stand by Wee Man) to see if he'll let me "borrow" some of his very nice professional photos what he took.   I would encourage you to click HERE to see how good he is and fully appreciate why I want Vanbar Associates to bask in his reflected brilliance, fully credited of course.

Other tasks shall be fulfilled which are much more dull so I'll not burden you with them.  

Exciting times ahead?  Who knows.  But in many ways that is exciting in itself.

Bring on October.

B is for Beginner

Can you notice anything a little different about the piece of music above? 

Yes?  No?  Don't really care?

Well I'll tell you.

It's only got one note, B - immediately explaining why it's called the 'B B Blues.'

Jamie's taken up the recorder, you see. 

And here he is with it.

Unlike in my day when you took one from a box and passed the box along, you now have to buy your own in case one of your classmates didn't have a bath the previous evening.

But back to the note B and Jamie's musical career which does have to start somewhere.  And in a way his path to stardom seems more daunting by the fact that he already has big shoes to fill.

I myself rose to the lofty ranks of first violin in Macosquin Primary School orchestra in 1981 (only to give it up the following year when Louise Madden left to go to Coleraine High School, depriving me of my sole motivation to continue). And I clearly remember being able to play more than one note - I was really good at A, for example.    

But before Jamie reaches such lofty heights, he must obviously master B and only practice can make perfect.

Thankfully, help is at hand. 

To quote from his music book:

"If you want to play more pieces with just B, how about playing 'B Groovy' and 'B Really Groovy!' from Razzamajazz Recorder Book 1? If you want to sing and play, try 'How Cool Can You B,' and 'B with Me' from Red Hot Recorder songs."

I hope he will take up that challenge. It might even B fun.

Sounds fun to drink and run

Whilst Vanessa's heroics at the Ilkley Triathlon were certainly inspirational and did lead me to briefly consider having a go myself next year, that thought did not last long.  No, because I stumbled upon another event that also took place yesterday which appears much better suited to my "talents."

I'm talking about the Great Yorkshire Wineathon in Holmfirth.

And rather than explain it poorly, let me quote directly from the official website: 

"Run, wine, run, wine, run, hill, wine, run, wine…the thirstiest race in Yorkshire.

"A 9-mile easy trail run/walk with feed stations every 2 miles. These are stocked with WINE! (Each wine station is based around a different wine region of the world).

"Starts at 1:30, great excuse for an afternoon running in the sun! (and a little wine).

"Registration opens 12:30, run starts 1:30, prize + awards ceremony as soon as the last one wobbles over the finish line! 

"So run, walk or crawl your way around this wine themed event, in aid of the Laura Crane Trust."

Do you know, I think I will.  Entries for next year's race open soon.  I really, really hope. 

Carried away

Today was a day of huge emotions which I'm unlikely ever to forget. 

A day of pushing back previously unimaginable boundaries. Of dreaming the impossible and turning the impossible dream into something which actually happened. Of the head telling the heart that the heart can't win - before the heart only goes and darn well does it. 

Yes, today was the day when I defied all odds by successfully installing a bike carrier onto the back of our car. And not only that, but it then managed to get to Ilkley and back without Vanessa's bike falling off and killing someone.

 I mean look. 

Isn't it wonderful?  And, as such, aren't I wonderful too?  I suspect I probably am.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

Before I forget, I should also briefly mention that whilst in Ilkley (we were there anyway), Vanessa managed to complete her first-ever triathlon.

A bit of swimming (no photography allowed).

A bit of pedalling.

And a bit of running at the end.

Ya-de-ya-de-yadda.

It's the sort of thing ladies do when they're approaching 40. No big deal. It's just like, you know, a triathlon.

Actually, here's another angle of the bike carrier which I know you'll enjoy. 

Beautiful. I still can't believe I did it. 

Before I go, Jamie and Charlotte have insisted on a final word.

Kinda proud of her myself. But don't ever say. 

Harry Potter spellbound by Magic Johnston

I've got cabin fever.

Four days since returning from Saturday's remarkable charity dinner back home - the full impact of which still hasn't fully sunk in - I've spent pretty much all of my time at home trying to juggle my day job with the task of setting up our company.

And, already, I think I need to find an alternative to sitting at our dining room table for 12 hours a day.   I've only left the house briefly three times since Sunday evening, twice to visit Morrisons and once to post a letter, and I don't think it's doing me much good.  Plus I'm still knackered from the weekend's exerts.

But don't think I'm feeling sad, hell no.  Because I have news!

My current decrepit state isn't just down to graft and worry.  It's also got something to do with slightly overstretching myself in my beloved Railway Arms last Thursday.  And again last Friday.  Then last Saturday.  Oh, and we also had time for a couple of swift ones before heading back to the airport on Sunday.  As you do.  

And the major reason I love it so much - as does every distant visitor I've ever met in there - is the hospitality and service provided by Super-Landlady Clare Johnston.

Even Harry Potter came to call on Friday evening.

And we were very happy for him to join everyone else.

Regular readers will hopefully be aware that, last month, I launched a little campaign here to see if we could get our Clare rightfully shortlisted for the 2014 Ulster Bar Person of the Year award.

Well, guess what?  We only bloody did it!

In another White Stuff exclusive (they just never stop), I can reveal that Clare received a call earlier today to say that she had indeed made the final six.  A full-on interview and pic will appear in the Sunday Life in the coming weeks before we all have the chance to vote FOR HER.

Needless to say I'll tell you when and how to do this as soon as that moment arrives.

BOOM!

Oliver's Army

It's the evening after three evenings before, and I remain a total physical and partially emotional wreck.

After nine months of detailed planning, 180 of us sat down in the Humphreys Hall at Coleraine Inst on Saturday for the Oliver Turkington Memorial Dinner.  And it seemed to go quite well.

In my experience, the success or otherwise of such events - not that I've ever been to one like this before, never mind organise it - depends on a number of fairly obvious factors including the attitude of the guests, the quality of the food and the quirkiness of the entertainment.  And you also need a bit of luck.  Thankfully, everything and everyone seemed to be on our side.

The smiles on people's faces right from the outset made me think that we might be alright.  The food - as guaranteed by the caterers - was superb.  And the Rugby World Personality of the Century - Willie John McBride - comedians Grimes & McKee, and everyone else in part-time charge of a microphone could not have been better.

Well, I say that.  In truth, I can barely recall a word I spoke.

But anyway. Chuck in a top drawer short video and a random bagpiper and it all came together better than we could ever have hoped.

A lot of money was raised for good causes and, most importantly for me, many old acquaintances were renewed.  Whilst I would not expect a future event to be on the same scale, I'm confident that it will not be another 25 years before some form of follow-up gathering is attempted.

Wherever it takes place, I intend to be there.

Happy

There is a famous scene in Only Fools and Horses where Trigger is having his photo taken after winning an award for owning the same broom for 20 years. (The one with 17 new heads and 14 new handles).  And either Del or Rodney encourages him to smile.  Trigger replies: "I am smiling."

That's kind of what I'm like today.

If you saw me, you'd insist that I brighten up a bit.  And I am trying.  But yesterday's Great North Run almost physically did me in. On the Metro back into Newcastle after the race, I was in deep conversation with a charming fellow runner who seemed to know as many people from Portstewart as I do.  Without warning, I broke out in a cold sweat, started to feel disorientated and felt on the point of fainting.  I had no option but to excuse myself and sit down on the train floor before I fell on it.  I remained there for the rest of the journey eating Jelly Babies as my kindly new mate fanned me with his jacket.  A couple of steak bakes from Greggs at the other end re-established some sort of equilibrium, but I still have a little way to go yet.

And yet, underneath the clapped-out middle-aged man exterior, I'm sickeningly happy.

The reasons are three-fold.  First, I completed the course without stopping - other than to use "the bathroom" (I went behind a street sign) - after four miles.  And whilst with a time of 1:52:27 I was almost five minutes slower than last year, the heat and the fact that I'm now a physical wreck meant that it truly was all I had to give.

Second - and much more importantly - the grand total raised for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research as a result of my little misadventure now stands at more than £1,100.   The credit for that does not belong to me, but to the long list of kindly souls who gave so willingly to a such wonderful cause.  Your efforts will forever stand as a lasting tribute to David McClarty and Margaret Maciver, my friends - your friends - who will never be forgotten by those of us privileged to have known them.

And finally, the best news of all.  I am never, ever doing the Great North Run - or any other half-marathon or above - ever, ever, EVER again.  I'm finished, done, it's over. I have come to the end of the road.  (Do you see what I did there?!)   I am officially retired.  Yes, I will take part in the odd 10k here and there for "fun," but that will be the extent of it.   I hope you approve.

(Please note that I didn't say anything about cycling.  Thought it might be worth pointing that out.  No plans.  Just saying.  Cycling).

The last beg

Well, it's almost Great North Run time again - my fourth and, unless I have a body transplant in the interim, my last.

I didn't ask for any sponsorship when I first had a go back in 2004, because I wasn't sure I'd be able to complete the course.

I ran it next with Wee John in 2011 after Mags was diagnosed with leukaemia.  And then last year after it cruelly took her life.

This Sunday, I'm running in joint memory of Mags and my old friend David McClarty, a great man of Coleraine, who tragically passed away on Good Friday after bravely battling lymphoma.  My charity of choice, logically enough, is Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.  

Mags' and David's families are right behind what I'm doing and, indeed, have generously donated to the fund.  With their permission, I will carry both names on the back of my vest.

You know the drill.

HERE'S MY LINK.

Please give something if you can.      

Non-progress update

It's day four of the "Vanbar venture" (I'll have to remember that newly made-up phrase, might use it again), and life has not been normal.  

People who know more about these things than I do (everyone) keep telling me to go slowly, get it right, be patient, there will be some tough months ahead and so on and so on.  And no doubt they're quite correct in their analysis.  But I don't do slowly and patient very well.  That said, given all the other things going on, I haven't really had much option. 

The highlight of the week thus far has been Jamie going back to school (YES!)...

...and Charlotte joining him in its baby jail department (AW!)

(Apologies if you've already seen these pictures, but their granny in Portstewart doesn't "do" Facebook and, 42 years on, remains scary to me).  

But that's not what's been keeping me busy.  With the Oliver Turkington Memorial Dinner now a mere nine days away, there is a hell of a lot of work yet to do.  There are tickets to be sold (going well but still available), publicity to pump out, menu cards to be designed, raffle/auction prizes to be secured, event running orders to be finalised, speakers to be briefed and a new suit to be bought.  And progress is being made in each of these areas, other than the suit which I tried to buy today but couldn't find anything that fitted me or my non-shoulders.  Thankfully, there is a dry cleaner's up the road which I might be forced to visit instead.  I'm bound to spill red wine on my suit, so it's probably for the best.  

Meanwhile, there are just three days to go until the Great North Run.  I went out for my final little trot yesterday morning, and didn't arrive home feeling particularly "up" for Sunday's race.  However, last night as I was climbing into bed, I received notification of a sizeable donation from Mags' mum and dad, Moira and Alasdair.  To say that this gave me a boost would be something of an understatement.  So much so that now I can't wait for the gun to go and Mo Farah to disappear over the horizon.   More on this tomorrow but, in the meantime, feel free to chuck your tuppence into the my cyber tin by following THIS LINK. 

And now, it's back to Vanbar Associates.....although I might have a cuppa first.....and a biscuit.....but no alcohol.....until Sunday.....really.....I know.....it's Thursday and everything.....go on, sponsor me....................please............................go on..... 

Introducing Vanbar Associates

I have news.  And dear readers - yes, both of you - I thought it only proper to tell you first.

Those who know me best will understand that I like to have a "project" on the go.

At some point this coming Sunday afternoon, my fourth and almost certainly final Great North Run will hopefully have been conquered. (Donations still most welcome by clicking on HERE).

And the weekend after, the much-anticipated Oliver Turkington Memorial Dinner will take place in Coleraine.  (Some tickets are still available by calling Diane Armstrong on Tel: 028 7034 4433).

But what to do next?  So I thought about it for a while - at least two cups of tea and several biscuits were involved - and finally it came to me.  I'll set up a communications company!

Well, I say that.

As it happens, the company - given the catchy name of Vanbar Associates - was formally registered by Vanessa at the turn of the year.  The more vigilant amongst you may have noticed that Vanessa begins with Van.  And Barry begins with....come on now.....someone.....anyone?   Yes, Bar.  Put the two together and what do you get?   That's right, an almost brand new communications company.

Vanessa took on her first client back in January, and all has gone well.  Meanwhile, I have remained in full-time employment with little or no involvement.  But it's time to up our game.

So, as of today, I have gone part-time at work with the purpose of turning Vanbar Associates into a communications company worthy of respect, admiration and contractual engagement with third parties.

None of this will happen without lots of hard work, which requires time, which - with Jamie and Charlotte running around - requires me to create some extra weekday hours.

And Jamie and Charlotte - together with Vanessa, obviously - are obviously relevant to all of this. Because we have to eat, Jamie needs new school shoes at least once a year, and Charlotte is relatively demanding in the "I want a new dress!" department.  And for these objectives to be achieved, our new venture has to be a commercial success.

For those with a passing interest, be assured - particularly you, Mother - that I haven't taken this decision lightly.  I have worked for communications firms in the the past, and press and PR are essentially what I've done day and daily for the past 18 years.  So I know what is involved.  I'm also confident that both Vanessa and I have the collective wherewithal to make our little enterprise work.  But, clearly, there are challenges ahead.

Something I can guarantee is that we will try to have fun along the way.  And, if you're really good, I'll tell you what I can here as we go along

There will be a new website and this will include a new blog.  But White Stuff is staying put for the foreseeable future.  I am sorry.

I do hope you approve of all of the above.

I'll keep you informed.