Project 366 / 182 - Refuge, interruptions and my stuff

Is there such a thing as peace and quiet? I think there might be, but certainly not in my life. I have a constant barrage of questions and demands for my time at work, so much so that I have built a second office. It's meant to be a place of refuge, of escape, just somewhere to get away from everyone for half an hour or so but it's not working. I don't seem to get any official break at work so I began using it as a place to go to to get away from my desk to eat my lunch. I guessed it would be much healthier than sitting and eating and working all at the same time. The problem is that literally within 2 minutes of being there I've got people knocking on the door and coming in.

"Sorry, I know you're eating your lunch but..." If I had a pound for every time I heard this then I wouldn't need to work any more.

Instead I now resign myself to the 60-90 minutes after everyone has left at the end of their working day to catch up on my work and do my stuff. But my stuff never happens and before I know it I'm late coming home, trying to see the kids and spend time with them before their bath and bed, frustrated that I'm not getting anything done for myself.

Tonight I've sat down after the kids are in bed to do a bit of work and write my blog before going for a run. But we've now got a puppy and he's causing havoc, literally stopping me halfway through every sentence. I think he's teething which doesn't help. Plus I've got violent hiccups which are just slightly more than bugging me. I say violent - they're probably just normal but my frame of mind is making them more sinister than they are.

The weather is irritating me at the moment too. We're trying to complete some filming at work but it's just not happening and we're falling behind schedule. It's the end of June, it's meant to be summer but it's wet, windy and cold. Even the restaurant I went to last night had lit their open fire - you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was nearly Christmas. Bloody global warming has a lot to answer for.

Poxy weather, poxy interruptions, poxy hiccups, poxy medication.

Disclaimer: I'm on new tablets for my cough. One of their many side-effects is irritation and depression but don't worry, I've only got about 5 days left (of the tablets that is, not my life).

Project 366 / 181 - Stagnation, uncertainty and survival

When I was young, and I'm talking between the ages of 15-20, we used to be out pubbing it every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights without fail. There were 5 or so of us in our group of usual suspects and we always had a laugh, every week, week in week out. It was a fun time. Other friends came and went within our group and sometimes the dynamics changed but somehow but we remained.

But I used to think I was missing out, or at least thought I would miss something if I wasn't there. It felt as though the one time I was away, or ill or unable to join my posse for some reason then that's when something would happen. The truth is it didn't but that was my fear.

It was only when I wanted to buy my first house and I had to move out of the area that began to realise the truth. Some 6 months after moving away we decided to have one of the old nights out. I was shocked. The pub was full of the same people, standing in the same place, drinking the same drink and telling the same jokes. It was as if time had stood still and it was at that moment that I realised that I had made my break, that I had made my escape.

I liken that story to a lot in my life. How dangerous it is to stagnate, to get stuck in a rut and to do the same thing day in day out. I can guarantee you that anyone who has done great things has not done so by playing it safe. Risks can be calculated risks, they don't have to be suicide. But unless you try you'll never know.

One of the guys who works for me is debating whether to try and buy a house. He knows that it's the right thing to do but is worried that he won't be able to and is considering playing it safe. One of his concerns is obviously money, after all to get on the property ladder nowadays isn't the easiest thing. But I worked 4 jobs until I could afford my first house so you can always earn more money, it just comes down to how much you want it and how much you're willing to sacrifice for it.

I find it strange that people err on playing it safe all the time but then wonder why their lives don't change. They watch with envy as those other people who are willing to take a risk have some measure of success. Nothing good is ever easy to get. You can't just sit back and watch it all roll in to you, it just doesn't work that way.

You have to ask yourself - what's the worst that can happen? By understanding and protecting the downside then you're free to concentrate on making it work. You've survived this far so everything is pointing to you succeeding once again.

Project 366 / 180 - Peacocks, opposites and mates

The gym is a funny place. It's filled with strutting juiced up peacocks pretending that they are the best thing since sliced bread. The banging and clashing of iron is meant to be a sign of good old hard work but it's not nowadays. Instead this has been replaced by laziness as the weights are dropped to garner attention. Sure we look, but it's only to see who the "twat of the week" is.

Workout partners come in strange combinations. Just as slim semi-attractive girls hang out with fat friends to make themselves look good (and the fat ones are there for any possible cast-offs), so you get a guy with a reasonable physique training with their either impossibly slim or very fat friend. I noticed this down the gym tonight as the fat friend ran around clearing up all the weights whilst his so-called friend sat on his phone (another one of my pet hates). The so-called friend then told his mate "you don't want to do that, you want to do this" and "nah, you're doing that all wrong" in the most derogatory and demeaning way possible. Great mates.

In the other corner of the gym were another 2 guys - one with a good physique and the other impossibly thin. Their workout was laughable as it revolved around how strong one was and how weak the other was.

But in general it is the form, the range of motion and the tempo that makes me laugh the most. Half reps-a-plenty, wildly swinging around, followed by a social media catch up. And this is every set of every exercise.

"Yeah mate, I train 4 days a week for 2-3 hours at a time".

More like you go down the gym 4 times to chat to your mates and occasionally try to lift something that's far too heavy a couple of times and then post your "gainz" on Facebook.

I try my best to zone out but at the moment my headphones are broken so at the moment I can't escape it, hence my observations. I think back to when I was young and wonder what I was like. Did the older guys think the same of me? Then I remember, I trained with the older guys, I respected the form and I learnt the correct range of moment, so no, I was never a peacock.

Project 366 / 179 - Attention, marketing and patience

When it comes to branding and marketing what are we all after? What drives success? Well that's easy - attention. All the work, all the exposure, all the give aways, all the gimmicks, they are all designed to do one thing: grab attention. But we're not entitled to any attention and we're not entitled to any leverage. You have to earn both.

The majority of business that we are dealing with are either startups, micro or small businesses and we spend time promoting them in our social and digital marketing. We do this as I believe that their business success drives our own success, after all the busier they get the busier we get. But as we invest more time and pounds into this digital world the more I realise that we're the only ones. Pretty much 100% of the businesses that we handle have little or no social media presence.

Social media marketing is a tough nut to crack. You can't just post a couple of pictures, or write a couple of blogs and expect the world to come to you. It just doesn't happen. We look at our clients social media profiles and they are pitiful. But I understand why. These small businesses are just too busy to dedicate the time needed to have results. They start with earnest, posting 3 or 4 things in a matter of days back in 2013 and then... nothing.

But does this matter? Is anyone paying attention anyway? If we didn't send out our newsletter, or post regularly on Facebook and Twitter would anyone miss it? Well I think that's the wrong attitude and approach but that is how everyone is thinking.

You have to remember that 1 is greater than 0. It can take just one view or one follower to change your business so you have to cater for this opportunity.

In all the time I have been either doing social media marketing or writing blogs, I have found that there is an audience but ultimately they are a silent audience. When I did the London Marathon a few years ago I wrote a weekly training blog. It wasn't about the quality of my run or really how far I'd run, it was more about the aspect of running, the pavement etiquette, the dog walkers, the rain, the cars and the experience of running. I had almost no interaction from anyone throughout. But when it was all over I had a handful of people who came up to me and said that they'd missed reading my blog. I found that weird.

People are watching. People are viewing. People are consuming. Be patient.

Project 366 / 178 - Boxing, Tyson and Joshua

I was a big fight fan when I was young. I'd be one of those people staying up to the early hours to watch a Mike Tyson 10 second knockout or Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank or Prince Naseem Hamed spectacular. It felt in some ways like a golden era of boxing, where the boxers commanded an audience through a mix of sheer raw talent and over the top showmanship. Plus they had personalities, and that really helped.

After Tyson was released from jail and had the infamous Tyson v Holyfield match and rematch the heavyweight scene seemed to go into free-fall. Yes us British had Lennox Lewis but the pizzazz wasn't there and subsequent contenders in the heavyweight division did little to set the world alight.

Those contenders and champions had no personality, instead relying on pathetic attempts to skirt controversy as their only way of publicity. In his prime Mike Tyson was labelled the "baddest man on the planet" because of his actions in the ring. He didn't have to do or say anything, his raw talent, ferocious power and mean demeanour saying it all. Tyson Fury, on the other hand, has had to rely on homophobic, sexist and anti semitic rants to garner publicity. It's pathetic and embarrassing.

This lull in boxing personalities has led the way to the emergence of MMA. It only takes 1 or 2 big personalities to set the world alight and the likes of both Rhonda Rousey and Conor McGregor have done just that. It's been an electrifying spectacle. What's interesting now is the prospect of a crossover match with McGregor taking on Floyd Mayweather but whether this happens or not remains to be seen.

But boxing is a sleeping giant. The emergence of Anthony Joshua is a refreshing change. Our British fighter has the looks, the talent and the potential to go all the way and what is nice is his humble approach to the sport. To remain grounded he still lives with his mum in a flat across the road from his boxing gym.

Just as Cus D'Amato kept Tyson grounded and invincible you just hope that Joshua's mum can do the same thing.

Project 366 / 177 - Martial arts, discipline and a fathers pride

As parents we try everything to ensure that our children grow up with the right principles, the right attitude and the right morals. Everything we teach them re-inforces these beliefs and we hope, above everything else, that they turn out to be good, honest, law abiding adults.

Reece embarked on his martial arts journey when he was 7. Although he's played team sports for and at school, he tends to prefer solo activities and so instantly seemed to connect with martial arts.

The martial arts school that he goes to teaches MMA. Anyone who has ever been involved with martial arts will know that it goes way beyond the physical lessons, rather life lessons. The theories, practices and disciplines that they teach resonate throughout your day, week, month and year and, if thought well, will be instilled in you for the rest of your life.

The school accept students from around 4 years old onwards so as you can imagine, it can be chaos. But the instructors are very patient, cleverly understanding the limited attention span that the younger students bring and instead concentrating their earlier grading on simple disciplines involving respect. Respect for the school, the instructors, the processes and most importantly each other.

Reece has been progressing well yet we are beginning to feel a little bit disillusioned as no-one ever fails. Everyone always passes. Of course the school charges for every grading so it is in their financial best interests to have the students continually progressing but without the fear of failure success doesn't taste so sweet.

That aside the whole environment has been very good for him. When he was young he was painfully shy. When he started martial arts he was still very shy but the process and the environment has really helped bring up his confidence. Also having another figure of authority has helped us as parents. We can talk to his instructors about problems that he may be having at home or at school and they then talk to him and help him through it. That alone is worth the money.

The proudest moments for me so far haven't been the gradings where he has earned his next belt or stripe. Instead it has been his willingness to volunteer to speak in front of the rest of the class. After lessons the instructor always gets the student to sit on the mat in a group and tell him, and everyone else, what they think they've learnt in the lesson. Over the last 2 years Reece has gone from never ever putting his hand up to being the first to offer his 2 pence worth. This week, after working in a close proximity sparring session his words made everyone's jaw drop;

"When you find yourself in a restricted space you've either got to find your way out or you've got to fight your way out".

Wise words from someone so young.

Project 366 / 176 - Brexit, divorce and panic

So the world woke up this morning to the news that the UK has decided to leave the European Union. I for one was shocked. I felt sure that it would be a landslide victory for the remain camp. I thought people would baulk when standing alone in the booth and in that moment of solitude vote for what they knew.

How wrong I was.

Instead what feels like everyone I know has that sick feeling in their stomach. It's like sitting there looking in the mirror with a bad hangover wondering what in the hell happened last night.

Now this could turn out to be the biggest bluff in history. If the EC desperately don't want us to leave then we could use this to leverage an incredible deal and then remain. But something tells me otherwise. The fact that other European countries are demanding their own referendum doesn't bode well.

This is all like a divorce and getting a divorce is never a good thing. It means that we've failed. All those hopes and dreams when we got together haven't panned out and something, somewhere has gone terribly wrong. It's not something to be celebrated. Yes people and priorities change, they drift apart and sometimes it can't be fixed.

I can't help but feel that the referendum was badly timed though. The British people are just emerging from the worst recession and nearly a decade of austerity measures. They are fed up with the banks and even more fed up and disillusioned with the politicians running the country. David Cameron et al should have waited another 4-5 years before playing chicken with the nation. Instead I feel that the nation has voted against the institution rather than Europe itself.

And then there's sterling and the FTSE. Why do people panic? Markets will fluctuate wildly during turmoil. Sit tight - everything will correct itself in due course. There's really no point worrying about these turn of events, after all there's nothing you can do to change whats happened.

And remember: in every problem lies an opportunity.

Project 366 / 175 - Quotes, toys and irritants

"FREE no obligation quote". What is that? So some people actually charge to quote? Or if they quote then you're obliged to go ahead? I've come across this type of thing quite a lot recently and I've been wondering what the hell is going on. I'm either getting old and confused or there is just some plain daft things around.

Like the way the manufacturers pack up childrens toys. Man these are impossible. Once you get inside the plastic sealed units then every single component part is literally hard-wired into the box. You need plyers, screw drivers, a knife and a whole lot of patience all the while your son/daughter is wondering what the hell you are doing and why it is taking so long. I'm guessing that the manufacturers do it just to wind us parents up.

I also don't understand why people, when telling a story, go to great lengths to be specific about when it happened... "it was Tuesday, no hold on a minute it was Wed.. no Th... hold on we saw Julie on the Sunday and it was before then, so.. no wait, last Friday... or was it Friday?". They'll then shout out to their partner and ask them if they can remember. STOP!! Honestly, does this bear any affect on the story? No I didn't think so.

And then when they refer to a person... "yeah it was my mates brothers fiancee's son". Oh please...

Why do people talk in acronyms? Acronyms are for typing and texts and they are for abbreviating phrases. They aren't for talking. At worst using acronyms for talking is just plain lazy. Oh and it makes you look stupid. Period.

And why do people say "period"? It's an American saying and it's daft as we know it's the end of the sentence. Full stop. See, that sounds even more daft.

Project 366 / 174 - EU in or out

The pressure is mounting on the British nation — are we in or are we out of Europe? The politicians have 24 hours left to try and persuade us either way, but what does the man (or woman) on the street actually make of it and which way is it going to go?

I run a freight shipping company so the impact on me and my business is considerable. If the nation decides to leave Europe then the simplicity of shipping to Europe will, in time, become more complex. Borders will go up, Customs controls will be put back in place and more red tape and paperwork will be needed to be dealt with. Transit times into and out of Europe would increase and delays would ensue. But it wouldn’t just affect my business, it’d affect everyone in our industry.

But if you ask most people how they are going to vote, in all honesty they don’t know. Some are so undecided that they’re not going to vote, instead leaving it to chance. But if you’re standing in the booth with the polling card in front of you and you still don’t know, then what? Do you go with your gut instinct? If you do then you can’t really say that you’re making an informed decision, instead it’s really just pot luck.

The problem is that the politicians have done what they always do, they’ve argued against each other. No one has actually said “yes being in Europe will mean x, y and z but the benefits would be a, b and c”. None of them seem to address the negatives of their party and I think that if a party leader actually addressed the cons as well as the pros of their argument then the general public would hold a lot more belief.

I for one am still on the fence. I’ll watch one video by Richard Branson and think yeah he’s right, we should stay in and then an hour later see a conflicting perspective and be team Brexit. I think it’s like the Scottish referendum, the nation wants out but when it comes to the crunch we’ll vote in because it’s what we know. And we like what we know, we don’t like uncertainty.

Project 366 / 173 - Football, disappointment and range

The 2016 UEFA European Championships are well under way with the first teams now making their way through the group stages and on to the more exciting knock out stages.

True to form, England haven't made it easy on themselves. Despite actually playing a higher paced, more creative game we've still only won 1 and drawn 2. It's enough to see us quality through the group stage but only in 2nd place - second behind Wales that is, ironically our only victory.

Watching England is always a frustration. The high hopes always seem dashed, no matter the quality of opposition. Last night we played against Slovakia. People were predicting us putting 3 or 4 past them. We drew 0-0. Yes we had 80% of the possession, yes we played a good attacking game but the scoreline tells the tale; we just can't score a goal.

Meanwhile Wales beat Russia 3-0. Now why can't we do that? Why can't we go out and comprehensively beat out opposition? You'd have to go back to the friendly against Germany back in 2001 to experience that. 15 years ago (yes 15 years ago) we beat them 5-1, it was a glorious match.

But that's not the purpose of my rant today. My rant is the level of opinion that everyone has. I mean who would want the England managers job? When you lose or draw there really is literally nothing you can do right. Why did you start with him? Why is he on the bench? Why did you bring him off? Why is he playing in that position? What sort of formation is that? Why are they sitting back? Why don't they bring him on? Why aren't we winning? Why can't we score? Why? Why? Why?

I've heard it all today and more. We're all experts, we all know what is wrong and we all know the teams failings. Plus we all know that we carry a disproportionate level of expectation on the best and highest paid players in our country.

Last night Wayne Rooney (the England captain no less) was brought on as a substitute but most of his shots or crosses were vastly over hit into the crowd and the commentator said "he just needs to find his range". Find his range?? Find his range??? The man earns £300k per week - I think he should know his range!!

Project 366 / 172 - Health, wealth and happiness

How we measure wealth is surely down to our own perceptions of money. We all know that if wealth is what we feel precipitates happiness then something is wrong somewhere. But in reality the vast majority of us aren't monks and we primarily live in a material world and that dictates nearly everything.

There are some, not many though, that are happy with "not a lot". Instead relishing in a non-materialistic lifestyle, living minimally and owning very little. They are frustratingly happy to the rest of us, as their lives seem fulfilled without all the things that we feel we need to fulfil us.

The majority of people want everything and will borrow up to the hilt to buy it, proudly showing off their latest purchase whilst all the while being in crippling debt. They'll live in a run down house but drive a flashy car, own a 60" flat screen 4K TV which they house in a shoe box room and spend the majority of the time down the pub boasting about what they've got.

The next percentage can afford it but worry about their wealth being depleted so never really appreciate their position.

And then there are the rich bastards who don't really understand the concept of money who preach that "money isn't everything, it doesn't buy happiness". Well you would say that, wouldn't you. Just give the chance to prove you wrong.

But if health is wealth and movement is medicine when what they hell are we all just sitting there? The saying that "when we are young we sacrifice health for wealth and then spend the wealth in our latter years trying to regain our health" is so true. But what can you do? We all like nice things and nice things cost money.

Fortunately the world is becoming far more health conscious. Gyms, clubs and healthy food are far more freely available. But the latter is still considerably more expensive in comparison to its fast food alternative. And in a materialistic world something's got to give and for that majority of people it's the expensive healthy food.

And then there's sugar. Eight times more addictive cocaine, a carcinoma, linked to 140+ health problems and yet found in pretty much everything and added in vast amounts to more than you realise. Something has to be done, some regulatory reform or tax. It's the number one killer that we all love and yet choose to ignore.

Project 366 / 171 - Fathers Day

I've been a father now for 8 years, 11 months and 352 days and I can safely say, hand on heart, it has been the most rewarding, fun and fulfilling time of my life. I was 36 when Reece was born and for me I was the perfect age. I'd mis-spent a youth, experimented, partied, stayed up all night, been selfish, pushed myself single-mindedly at work and at the gym and tried and tested 101 different things. So when Gem fell pregnant I was over the moon as I was more than ready to dedicate my life to someone else.

Whilst they say that you can never be ready for kids I would say that I was ready. Financially no, you're never 100% prepared. Just like a lot of things, you don't ever really understand the cost implications. Your initial "budgets" are at best a finger in the air. So you may think you understand but you don't and at times the burden can feel somewhat suffocating. And that's not including the £1000's of "must have" toys that get relegated to the back of the cupboard inside a week.

Despite what your friends may say, or what you read on the internet or in books, there is no manual to raising children. You have to find your own way. What works for one won't necessarily work for another so a tried and tested method by your mother may not be such a sure thing. We've had friends who have sworn by manuals for their babies but are suffering the repercussions now and visa versa.

You also have to understand that the world is changing, and fast. The world in which your parents grew up in is considerably different to the one in which you grew up in and you have to have the same regard to your children and the world that they are growing up in. It's different, adjust.

And then there is everyone else. You just have to let other people do parenting their way. Just as you wouldn't accept criticism for your methods you mustn't criticise others. It may be difficult as you're obviously the best parent in the world ever but so are they. We all live, make mistakes and learn, that's what we do. We make rods for our own backs but we wouldn't have it any other way.

My only want for everyone is for them to realise that these first 12-14 years are precious. Once they are gone they are gone. Put down that phone, get on the floor and interact. Oh and don't ever tell your kids to grow up, they'll do that far sooner than you realise.

Project 366 / 170 - Fact, fiction and investing

I'm fascinated by people and their stories and I'm intrigued by how people get to a particular position in life. I guess my interest is one of the many reasons why I only read biographies and I'm drawn towards films that are based on true stories.

Fact can sometimes be stranger than fiction.

Why would you want to read fiction when reality is so much more interesting? Knowing that a story is based on a true story provides so much more weight to it and from an entrepreneur's perspective it reaffirms the journey that you may be on.

Work is easy, success is hard. No one wants to hear of the time you have had to invest, no one wants to hear of the failures, everyone just loves the success. But what is success? Is it financial? Is is moral? Is it a work/life balance?

The truth is that everyone has their own priorities and that this priority may change as your life evolves. When you're young it could be about the money and the cars. Then you settle down and start a family and it's all about the work/life balance. Then the kids are older and it's all about legacy and security.

I bought my wife a new car recently, it's a Mercedes GLE250. It's beautiful and we're all very happy with it. We also looked at a lot of other cars including the Range Rover but we didn't feel that the cost was warranted. But then we began noticing that there were a lot of Range Rovers on the road. How were these people affording them? I mean these were a £60k+ car and although I could afford it I wasn't inclined or prepared to make the repayments. I mean, it's only a frickin' car.

And then I looked below the surface. I looked at where these cars were being parked and started to notice that they were parked outside some terraced council house, or lower priced home. In other words the people owning them had a different priority. Their priority wasn't their property it was the vehicle they drove. They'd prefer to live in a cheap house but drive a luxury car and to me that is all wrong.

Cars are luxury and you'll lose every time. In my time I've spent far too much money on them and promised myself that I'd never make that mistake again. But now I'm a bit better off so can afford a little bit of luxury, even if it is only for my wife. I much prefer now to invest in property. Yes it's not as sexy and is much longer term but I'm all about the long game. The only cars I really invest in now are the classic cars that one of my companies restores (RiE-Store), other than that I don't invest in cars. Instead I go in with my eyes open knowing that I'm going to lose money.

Project 366 / 169 - Stress, worry and breath

Stress... argh... why is there so much stress around? Is it because we're wanting everything to be absolutely perfect 100% of the time or because we're simply trying to cram too much into every single day and then feeling like we're failing when we don't manage it?

Despite running my own business for the last 15 years I've spent pretty much my whole life stress free but just at the moment I'm beginning to feel the effects. But it's not my life that's stressing me out, it's everyone else's. Everyone is constantly panicking, everyone is always worrying and for what? Worrying doesn't make a problem or situation go away, it just takes away the rational thinking that's needed to deal with the problem. And that's if there is actually a problem and not just a manifestation of some illogical random thoughts.

I'd say that most of the things you may actually worry about won't happen. And if some version of it does happen then it's nearly not always as bad as we thought they may be. It's like hearing noises in the dead of night, they sound big, they may sound scary but in the cold light of day you'd realise that there's nothing to be scared about.

You know sometimes you just need to take a deep breath.

I have to admit, I'm a born optimist. No matter how full my glass may be I'm just happy that I've got a glass because if I've got a glass then I've got an opportunity to fill it. I believe in people, I believe in the good of peoples intent and I believe that although you can control your own actions it's very, very difficult to truly control everything else that may happen. It's like riding a motorbike; you may be the best rider in the world but you can't control the actions and ability of everyone else on the road.

So for now it's Friday night. The kids are in bed and it's time to kick back and relax for a few hours before the rat race of a weekend begins.

Deep breath...

Project 366 / 168 - News, goodness and imbalance

If the media are to be believed then you'd think that the world was ridden with evil. That this Earth in which we live is actually the hell that we're all so desperately trying to avoid. But that is what is reported. War, terrorism, stabbings, shootings, muggings, kidnap, theft... you'll find most of these things in the daily news and yes, they are terrible. Worse than terrible. But they aren't the only things that happen, there's a whole lot of goodness too but I guess that doesn't sell newspapers and air time.

I guess vehicle accidents bare a striking resemblance to how the media portray our world. People love nothing more than to slow down to have a look. But to have a look at what? What are you hoping to see? The blood and guts of some poor unfortunate soul? I'm guessing it is but then you'll cry to your friends of the harrowing scene that you witnessed and be scarred for life. If it's a dented, beaten up car then take an afternoon stroll round a brokers yard, there's thousands of them there.

Yes good news travels fast but bad news travels faster.

The human psychology has a lot to answer for. We actively seek out negativity, perhaps to re-inforce the fact to ourselves that we're doing ok, that we're alright, that we're safe. This places us in a position of power and choice. A choice to help if we want, to act the you need me more than I need you.

But there's a lot of people doing a lot of good things. From charity work to volunteer work and everything in between. There's millions of people trying to give billions of people a better life. I watched an interview with Scott Harrison of Charity Water the other day. He's been working on a project to provide fresh water to the 663 million people who do not have access to it. In his research Scott traced problems surrounding education, safety and health back to a lack of clean water and sanitation systems. It's that simple. 10 years on the organisation has raised over $200 million, funding 19,819 projects in 24 countries, benefiting over 6.1 million people. Sounds impressive doesn't it, and it is. But realise this; that after 10 years his charity has only impacted 1% of the problem.

One percent.

The world is so unbalanced and I believe that it has become this way through gluttony, greed and quite ironically, religion. But just imagine a world where the top 3% of the worlds population who actually own the financial wealth of the world actually came together to fix this imbalance.

Imagine that.

Project 366 / 167 - Legacy, memory and chance

We went to the funeral of my wife's nan today. She'd made the ripe old age of 98 (you can read my blog about it here). As funerals go this was a nice one. The vicar actually knew Nan so his speech was quite personal and very poignant. Despite it being a large family my wife, once again, was asked to say a few words which she did, very eloquently. She delivered her words with grace, elegance and heartfelt emotion which barely left a dry eye in the house. I was very proud.

During the vicar's speech he mentioned legacy which really got me thinking about myself, yourself and ourselves. Everyone that Nan touched in her life had nothing but good to say. She didn't achieve any material greatness or fanciful pompousness, she just lived a very simple life full of goodness and kindness.

So what will be our legacy? What do you want your legacy to be? And is the way you are carrying on now positively contributing to that legacy?

The wake and subsequent considerable alcohol consumption by the usual suspects serves nothing but embarrassment to us. For me, the older I get the more conscious I become of my actions. I want my impact on people to be a positive one, a helpful one and a friendly and loving one. None of us are perfect and I'm a long way off who I want to be remembered as but I'm conscious of it and I'm trying to work on it almost every day.

When we look back on life our memory certainly plays tricks on us. Just as they say that our brain has no memory for pain, we also have a selective memory when it comes to unhappy times. Chances are when you look back on your school days you'll remember them with fondness. It's as though your brain has filtered out all the crap and just left you with the goodness.

That leaves you with a chance. A chance to turn your life around now and to one day be remembered for who you want to be, rather than who you may possibly be now. But it takes effort and it takes want.

Project 366 / 166 - Life, death and being grateful

It's strange how life twists and turns, has ups and downs and has good and bad times. Rolling with the punches is a really fine skill if you can master it. It will allow you to minimise negative impact, keep you in control and allow you to realise that things aren't as bad as they may first appear.

I've come across a lot of people over the last few years saying "I can't wait for this year to be over, it's been a terrible year" like bad fortune keeps to any clock or calendar. People love fresh new starts. A new week, a new month, a new year - all to start again. It seems crazy when every day has a new dawn.

We've had our fair share of bad news over the last year. My wife's grandad died, then our beloved dog died, then my wife's nan died and yesterday we received the terrible news that my wife's ex-boss had been knocked of his push-bike and been killed. He wasn't even 50. Elderly grandparents who have lived a full life are one thing (my wife's nan died at 98), but to be killed whilst out on your bike is another. It really rocked my wife. Not only was theirs a close-nit team but he had a young family, and that really hit home.

I think we all struggle to make sense of life sometimes. Trying to understand why things happen when there isn't really any rhyme or reason can send you stir crazy because sometimes things just happen. We live a few miles from Shoreham Airport and last year during the airshow a Hawker Hunter Jet crashed on the dual carriageway just outside the airport. There are fields all around, yet this vintage aircraft somehow managed to crash into a queue of stationery cars on a dual carriageway. 11 people died pretty much instantly.

One minute you're here, the next you're gone. It's that simple.

How many times have you left the house without saying a proper goodbye to your loved ones? What if you never came back? What if they never came back? It's a harrowing thought but it happens. I remember reading about the widow of one of the 911 victims who hadn't kissed her husband goodbye that fateful morning because she'd just done her makeup and lipstick. She'll have to live with that for the rest of her life.

So take a moment just to be grateful for this wonderful thing called life and to appreciate just how lucky you are. After all, you could have been a slug.

Project 366 / 165 - Opportunity, chance and risk

There's not much guaranteed in life. Most of what you may want to achieve you'll have to strive, sacrifice, grind, work and hustle for. Then, if you're lucky enough to achieve what you set out to do the fear of losing may inhibit the enjoyment of the actual achievement. Ironic huh.

But what's it all for? We're getting one lifetime and to do what? I'm guessing it is to be able to look back and not regret. Not regret the opportunities or the things that came our way. Not for the first words when we reflect to be "I wish". After all, there are plenty of people who will tell you that you'll only ever regret the things that you didn't do rather than the things you did.

We all have to take risks, if we didn't we would never leave the house every day. Once you begin to understand that you have to try and begin to scale it up. Opportunities present themselves to us so much more often than we realise but most of them happen as a matter of chance. I believe that the odds of improving chance increase with developing relationships and continual learning. Saying "yes" to that invitation increases the possibility of meeting an acquaintance which may develop into an opportunity. Understanding and learning how the world is evolving and changing will increase your chances of survival.

"What is luck? It is not only chance, it is also creating the opportunity, recognising it when it is there, and taking it when it comes" - Natasha Josefowitz

So many of the opportunities that I have taken advantage of have only really come about because I have either stepped out of my comfort zone or taken a chance. Playing safe will only get you so far. It's like gambling down at the casino, you won't get rich by playing £1 a hand. But unless your mind is open to suggestion and opportunity you may miss them all together. Just as a negative person may not see that £10 note on the ground, your state of mind may ignore the visual and mental triggers which may recognise opportunity.

Routine is rut. Settling for what it is rather than what it could be is the virus that drains your creativity and zest. It's easy to fall foul, to settle and to accept. You have to constantly challenge yourself, to remind yourself what you want to be, where you want to be and who you want to be. You are capable of so much more that you realise and one day, many years from now, you'll realise how young and strong you were.

Project 366 / 164 - Running: physical vs mental

I ran the London Marathon back in 2011. I completed the Olympic distance London Triathlon in 2014 and I ran the inaugural Worthing half marathon earlier this year. So when my wife asked me if I would like (like??) to run the Amsterdam Marathon in October I kind of knew what I was letting myself in for.

She, however, has no idea so is still smiling about the whole escapade.

I did my first real training run for the marathon in October today. Yes that marks the start of 5 months training. It's not just a turn up and blag it, you have to put a lot of time and a whole lot of effort into these things. And for anyone who runs you'll know that it's as much mental as it is physical.

The first mile is one of regret, irritation, denial and a massive helping of exhaustion. Joints hurt, things twinge, you get a stitch, your breathing is all over the place and you just feel like stopping this fruitless, ridiculous and boring quest right there and then.

If you've got through this then you're doing well. Everything begins to settle down and before you know it you realise that you're not even out of breath. It's very strange. You begin to think about your stance, your stride and realise that actually you feel quite strong. Then you realise that you'll be running away from home for quite some time but it's ok, you feel good.

If you're like me then you don't go out with a particular route in mind. Instead you'll think about a specific place you want to run to and then see how you feel from there. If you're still feeling strong then you can extend the route or take the short route home. If you extend the route then you'll find that your positivity is really strong and you can really eat up a lot of unplanned additional distance. It's like you know you're pushing towards your PB. If you take the short route home then you'll find your negativity will come to the forefront and tiredness will set in so much quicker.

It's like watching professional athletes. You'll find the winner in any match or race will be full of energy at the end, celebrating, jumping around and almost doing a victory lap. The loser will be physically and mentally exhausted, almost unable to stand. That, my friends, is all mental and psychological, both have exerted themselves the same amount yet their brains are sending out two completely different signals and hormones.

My run today was 6.4 miles. Not bad for a first longish run since February. I felt strong and still had a lot let in me when I reached home. Still, it's daunting right now to think that I'll have to add another 20 miles to this to complete a marathon but as long as I keep persevering then I've got time on my side.

Project 366 / 163 - Football, '96 and tournaments

So the Euro's started yesterday, that's the European football championships to those of you that haven't a clue what I'm referring to. And England have their first match tonight against Russia.

When it comes to supporting the national side, a lot has changed over the years. Our nation continues to harp back to 1966 when we famously, and not without controversy, lifted the world cup. We'd have to wait another 30 years before we'd next have any real measure of success - Euro '96. And what a year for football that was.

The championships were held at home with England entering without much expectation. We'd not qualified for the pervious World Cup so this was the first tournament for 4 years. Quite literally the whole nation was gripped as the tournament progressed as England, for once in what felt a lifetime, actually played consistently well. Not one game but every game. They played with passion, as a team and for the nation. We made it through to the semi-finals where we met our old foes, and the eventual winners of the competition: Germany.

We came so close, drawing at full time, only to go to penalties. Now in our quarter finals against Spain the match had gone to penalties and we'd won. This was a first. Probably ever. So the nation knew that we could do it but was nervous because of our history. All went well to start with but at 5-5 all the practiced penalty takers had been used. Usually it didn't go this far but today it did.

Up steps Gareth Southgate. The nation held it's breath.

It was a weak indecisive shot and not placed in any particular spot. It was subsequently saved and the nation cried. We've been crying ever since.

Every World Cup and every European championships ever since we've seen the passion of the national squad diminish. The media, quick to build us up and even faster to take us down, has quite rightly berated the national squad as a bunch of lazy prima donnas who are more interested in the money than the honour of pulling on the England jersey.

I remember watching David Beckham back in 2001 pretty much single handedly carry the England squad though qualifiers, covering every inch of the pitch against Greece and scoring a last minute classic free kick to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. We all knew then that we couldn't do well in the World Cup if the squad was going to rely on one man, no matter how good he was.

And now it's the Euros again. The general feeling from everyone I talk to is one of disinterest. For the last 20 years watching England play has just been one disappointment after another. We've been beaten, as both players and viewers, into submission.

Is now the time for the lion to roar once again?

Project 366 / 162 - Paying off, liking and thanking

I feel on a bit of a creative roll at the moment. The extended period for learning has given way to execution and the early mornings and late nights understanding what is needed to be done and how to do it is finally paying off. It's helping that I've now employed someone who I fire lots of ideas to and who is more than capable of running with them.

But when I say paying off, I don't mean financially I mean creatively but ultimately financially paying off is exactly what it needs to do. And that begs the question - how long do you have to or can you wait? Time spent away from operations can be money lost. Would it be better to put the same effort into old-school cold calls?

Well I believe both are right and both is what is required to benefit each other. Just as an employer I will check out your social media accounts before even considering interviewing you, there's no denying that prospective customers check you out online too. So a large percentage of those potential new customers, the cold call customers, are likely to do the same. And how do you fare?

But I don't believe that social and digital media marketing are everything either, especially in our game. I gained a sizeable new client recently because I picked up the phone to thank them for liking our Facebook page. That like was the foot in the door, the conversation opener and led to me literally asking to do business with them. I came away believing even more so that this combined approach is the way to go.

Gary Vaynerhuck recently said "It takes time, keep grinding boys. I know some days it's hard and doesn't seem like things are progressing. Those are the days that differentiates the ones that "get there" an the ones that don't... Patience".

This really resonated with me. Digital and social media marketing can be a lonely existence with little friction, little interaction and what seems like your best work being completely missed. It's hard. But how many views do you need to make it worth while? Perhaps try and look at results in a different way, perhaps look at how you can use the data that it kicked up. Contact the people who liked it, comment, interact and talk. I look at everyone who likes our page and even post. I check them out, I see who they are, what town they live in and what they do. If there's a opportunity then I'll try and contact them.

Your video may only get 100 views, or 10 likes but it only takes you to convert 1 of those into a new customer to make it all worth the while.

Project 366 / 161 - Songs, originality and credit

Writing an original song, now there's a task and a half. If Sharleen Spiteri from the band Texas is to be believed it's nigh on impossible as she believes that every song that could ever be written has already been written. With only 88 keys on a piano it's difficult deny the science behind her argument and to imagine that she is wrong but I can't help but disagree. Arrangements, mood, tempo and stye can transform one song to another.

All artists are influenced. This influence begins at a very early age, with the formative years being considerably so. And influence is all around us whether we are looking for it or not. Just look at people like Paul McKenna or Derren Brown who uses subliminal triggers to influence our decision making.

Inspiration is also everywhere, just as long as you are open to it. Plus the direction a song can go when writing can unconsciously follow an already trodden path. It can be very difficult not to copy something that's already been written.

Once upon a time in my life I was teaching myself the guitar. I'd get together will some friends, drink tea, smoke lots of cigarettes and try and write songs. One of the days a friend came over to where I was living and we sat down in some kind of hippy commune kind of way and jammed. Half an hour later we'd unknowingly written Sweet Home Alabama, only realising our "error" when we played it to a friend.

In the news today Ed Sheehan is being sued for more than £13.8m by song writers Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard. They allege that his 2014 summer hit Photograph "exploited" X Factor winner Matt Cardle's 2012 single Amazing.

Now there's a couple of points here. Firstly, has Ed Sheehan really financially benefited to the sum of £13.8m from one song alone? If so then wow. Where do these people get these figures from? Start high and settle low? And then secondly, yes, there are striking resemblances to Matt Cardle's song.

What I don't get is why Ed Sheehan would do this, I mean after all he isn't shy when it comes to musical collaborations. He appears to happily write with or for other people and to duet with numerous other musicians. Tori Kelly, Rudimental, Macklemore, The Weeknd, Krept & Konan, Hilary Duff and Devlin not to mention Taylor Swift to name literally but a few.

I could and might be wrong but I'd like to think that if he'd heard something in Matt Cardle's song that he wanted to use that he would have happily split the credit. Either way someone should have recognised the similarity.

Project 366 / 160 - Travelling, parking and cutlery

Our little trip to Glasgow over the last couple of days to see Coldplay (did I tell you that we went to see Coldplay yesterday?!?) marks the start of a season of travelling and generally getting around. Not that we don't normally but we've got more on coming up than normal.

But it's these little trips after a famine of travelling that just goes to remind me how small the world has really become. It still amazes me that you can wake up in your bed at home and go to bed later that same day the other side of the world. What was once impossible is now commonplace. The distance you can travel in such a short period of time is quite simply amazing. And it's only going to get better.

My only real gripe is the airport parking prices. We were away for 2 days yet the car park ticket cost £62. The last time we went away for the week the car park ticket cost was something extortionate like £120. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying for parking it's just I don't like being ripped off. It doesn't help that the bill comes at the end of an expensive break so feels like the straw that breaks the camels back, but even so, I think I'd still balk at paying regardless. It just seems ridiculous to pay more for parking than it does to actually fly somewhere.

We're were sitting airside having lunch after going through security at Glasgow airport today when it struck me. We'd been x-rayed, frisked, questioned and checked upon arrival yet were sitting airside with a metal knife and fork eating lunch. Isn't that a potential security issue? It's like getting on an international flight and travelling first class. They actually give you metal cutlery on board the aircraft, like terrorists wouldn't think of travelling first class...

Don't worry, I keep my paranoia in check.

Project 366 / 159 - Coldplay

I've seen a lot of live bands in my time. Some big, some small, some I've wanted to see and others that I've just taken a punt at for a night out. Some I've gone to see with high expectations and come out disappointed whilst others I've not had any preconceptions about yet have been more than pleasantly surprised.

Tonight we went to see Coldplay, probably one of the biggest bands around. They've been on my bucket list for years and finally, some months ago now, I managed to book tickets. But that wasn't without problems as I found that all London tickets were sold out before they even went on sale. Desperate I looked further afield before finally finding some premium tickets in Glasgow.

Finally I was going to see Coldplay.

I knew they'd be good, after all I've seen some of their live performances on tv but as good as that was nothing could have prepared us for the electric goosebump atmosphere that encapsulated Glasgows Hampden Park stadium.

We were hit by hit after hit after hit, accompanied by pyrotechnics, showered by ticker tape and danced and sang along wearing glowing wristbands that cleverly made us feel part of the show. 

If you go and see one of the biggest bands in the world then you just hope and pray to be entertained like this. Coldplay are everything you hope they will be and more. Excellent musicians, great songwriters, amazing performers and all the while being genuinely humble and grateful for their appreciative audience.

10/10.

Project 366 / 158 - Computers, technology and the future

Computers and their associated technology are the future, there's no denying that and everything that we know is going to be affected and disrupted beyond all recognition.

I read an interesting article on future predictions yesterday that suggest much of the same. From lawyers who are being put out of jobs by their far superior computer counterparts (90% accuracy compared to humans at 70%) to the automobile industry where by the mid 2020's self driving cars will mean that you won't even own a car let alone have a driving licence. You'll call a car with your phone, it will show up at your location and drive you to your destination. Computer based cars will be cleaner and safer which will ultimately disrupt car insurance companies as less accidents will result in less claims. iRobot eat your heart out.

3D printing is going to begin to have a greater impact too as the cost of printing continues to drop (the price of the cheapest 3D printer came down from $18,000 to $400 in 10 years all the while becoming 100 times faster). Soon they'll be 3D printing everything. The international space station now has a printer that eliminates the need for the large number of spare parts that they have used in the past. Soon smart phones will have 3D scanning possibilities meaning that you can scan your feet and print your perfect shoes at home.

The actions of a few will disrupt the lives of many as tech companies such as Tesla, Apple and Google will go the revolutionary approach and build solutions based on computers. It is predicted that by 2030 computers will become more intelligent than humans.

But then what? How can we control something that is more intelligent than us? We've predicted this future, we've foretold the potential catastrophic consequences but yet we're still accelerating towards it in an almost kamikaze way.

Technology is exciting, it's fun and it's making life easier yet at the same time it's damaging the world that we know. I appreciate that we need to change, that the world evolves and we must evolve with it but I can't help but look to the future with an element of caution, if not for us but for our children.

Project 366 / 157 - Tiredness, drama and sleep

It's the end of the kids half-term and it's been a good one. The kids have played lots, they've seen friends and relatives, they've been places and seen things plus it's been Lincolns 5th birthday so that's topped it all off perfectly.

But it's Sunday night and the night before school and things have been somewhat "difficult" to say the least. The Sunday night blues have kicked in big time and that, coupled with tiredness, has caused more than one melt down.

It's difficult to reason with kids. The only resource you have is your own experience so that is what you draw on. For me, when I was at school, going back to school was a tremendous hardship. Or at least that's how I remember it. But it was different for me, after all I was at boarding school so I'd be going back to school on a Sunday night ready for the Monday morning and then I wouldn't be going home for another 3 weeks at best. And if I did go home then it wouldn't be until Saturday afternoon until Sunday night. Not exactly a full weekend.

And then there were terms when I only went home at half term. So it was start of term, half term and then end of term and that's the only time I saw my home, sister or parents. What a weird upbringing, especially considering that my mum never worked.

In comparison then, when I'm trying to comfort Reece, my eldest, I struggle to get him to comprehend the trivial nature of his complaint all the while trying to sympathise with his emotion. But I guess it's different as he knows no different than the life he's living.

Sleep though, it cures so much. What feels so dramatic tonight will feel so trivial in the cold light of day.

Project 366 / 156 - RIP Muhammad Ali

There's going to be a lot of articles, reports, stories and anecdotes about Muhammad Ali over the coming days, weeks, months and years. And quite right too. Here was a man who transcended generations, who spoke for the man with no voice and who stood up for the beliefs of many.

Just as Nelson Mandela suffered personally for his cause, so did Ali. His stand against Vietnam robbed him of the best years of his fighting career. But what a career. It just goes to show that self belief, bravado, wit, confidence and eloquence mixed with unbelievable and undeniable talent can literally overcome any obstacle. Sonny Liston and George Foreman to name but two were literally the goliaths of their era and even the "experts" feared for Ali's life. He proved once again that it's not always about brawn.

There's much to learn from Ali, from both inside and outside the ring. When faced with a difficult situation he would dig deep, find his resolve, find courage and get back up. If this man could achieve what he did, in the period of time that he did it, then we all can overcome our challenges too.

Ali died today at 74 after suffering with Parkinsons for 32 years. That means he was 42 when he was first diagnosed. Just think about that for a second - 42. What a tragic diagnosis at such an early age. Yet Ali had somehow managed to squeeze more than two lifetimes into the first 42 years. The way he spoke and the speed in which he delivered his narrative was simply breathtaking. So much of what he spoke about still resonates today - it'd be a good use of your time to research it. These "Greats" almost have a sixth sense of their limited time. They are incredibly insightful and philosophical. Bruce Lee was much the same.

2016 continues to rob us of some of the most influential icons of our era. But Ali, he was and always will be the greatest.

Project 366 / 155 - Appreciation, acceptance and becoming a master

I like being me. Of course if I had a magic wand there's 101 things that I'd change about me but they would mainly be cosmetic but in general I'm more than happy with my essence, my beliefs and the way I conduct myself.

We should all take a good look at ourselves and firstly appreciate how lucky we are, lucky to be alive, lucky to have the things that we have. If you're reading this then you're lucky to have access to the type of technology that allows access to it. If statistics are to be believed then if you've got a roof over your head, food in the cupboard and a bit of money in the bank then you're in the top 3% of the worlds population. Now that's a frightening statistic.

And to think that we moan about our lives.

We should also accept others for who they are. We all have our short comings and we all make countless mistakes. Much of the media scaremongers us into believing that the world is full of evil people when in reality the truth is that the vast majority of people are honest, good people. We just expect the worst because that's what we've been taught to expect.

But accepting others for who they are isn't always easy. I for one believe in people. I believe that if someone says that they are going to do something that they really will do it. In reality the majority of the time they don't. People let you down and that's just the sad truth of the matter. I'd like to think that it's not something that people do on purpose, rather that they over promise. They think they'll deliver and then when they realise that they can't or won't they are too embarrassed to admit their failing.

There's a lot I'd like to be good at but I've begun to understand my limits. I'm starting to concentrate on what I'm actually good at rather than waste my life trying to bring up my weak points. Yes I'm a good all rounder, I have to be, after all that's the territory that comes with running multiple businesses. But by focussing on my strengths I can become a master rather than a jack.

Project 366 / 154 - Smartphones, training and danger

I went to the gym last night in a first for a long time training session. It's an attempt to get back into some kind of regular training routine, plus I really need to start training for the marathon in October or I'll end up cramming it all in last minute, which is the last thing I want to do.

So what did I notice down the gym? Well it's something that I've been noticing more and more every time I go: mobile phones. And this isn't limited to the young guys, although they make up a large percentage of the people training, it's everybody. Young and old, men and women.

Now I don't know about you but when I go to the gym to train, I go to train. When I go for a run, I go for a run. I don't stop to text, tweet, check facebook or the worst of it, take a frickin selfie. I mean, seriously. People nowadays have no shame. You look like a dick, just stop it.

There's people down the gym who do one set every 10 minutes. The rest of the time they are either chatting to their mates, playing around on their phone or goofing around. Meanwhile the minority of us that are actually there to train properly are left scratching our heads as to the purpose of their visit.

The smartphone really does seem be taking over. I'm not talking about commuters or people with time to kill, after all that's exactly where smartphones are, well smart. All they've done in those circumstances is to replace things like books, magazines and newspapers. But it's prevalent everywhere else. You can't walk down the street without almost being knocked over by people not watching where they're walking. The second, and I mean the second anyone has to wait more than 5 seconds for anything they’ll pull out their phone to check on what everyone else is doing.

And that's not the worst of it. Last weekend we were driving as a family down the motorway when we saw a lorry swerving all over the road. As we approached the lorry to overtake it my wife said "I bet he's on his phone" and sure enough there he was, in an 18t lorry, playing around on his phone.

I see instances like this every single day. When does anyone ever get prosecuted? I thought it was against the law? But everyone is carrying on as normal.

I love my phone and just like everybody else it is nearly almost always within arms reach of me. I run a few businesses so it may be argued that my phone could be more important to me than someone else's is to them. But I don't make the excuse that "I must have it in case of an emergency". I mean when was the last time you used your phone in an emergency? Obviously heaven forbid you ever do, but do you know what I mean?

Project 366 / 153 - Weather, forecasts and fashion

So here we are, almost half way through the year already. Another year zipping by without a care in the world and yet another year waiting for that elusive summer that'll probably never come.

The weathermen, or I should say the meteorologists... the ones who forecast the weather, they really have no idea what they are talking about. I know that they can only second guess what may happen, and that the weather can change very quickly but these are the experts. If I got it wrong at work on such a constant basis, well I wouldn't have any customers let alone a business.

At the start of every winter we're told that we should brace ourselves for "the longest, coldest, most wintry winter on record". What happens? No snow, a couple of days of scraping the car in the morning and that's it. If anything the opposite of what is forecast. They should suggested that we're gong to have the mildest winter on record, at least that way they'd start earning some brownie points.

Again about a month ago the meteorological rumour went round that we were about to have the hottest summer on record "England will sizzle with the hottest season on record" read the headline. Well so far it's rained, been windy and I've pulled my work jumper back out of the cupboard and put the kids back into long pyjamas for bed as it's so cold.

I could be wrong. We could be about to get this heatwave but I sincerely doubt it.

It's shocking the amount of times that the weather report can't even get it right for today let alone making future forecasts, yet we still make fashion choices based on forecasts rather than what the weather is actually telling us. You'll see people in shorts in cold weather and others in thick jumpers when it's hot.

The best solution - take it all with a pinch of salt. Look out of the window and make your choices from there. The other night there was a glorious red sky as the sun set yet the next day was torrential rain. Goes to show that even the shepherds can't get it right nowadays.