The glamorous and not-so-glamorous life of a consultant

Last month: Shanghai. First visit to China – amazing place. The pace of change is just phenomenal, as is the level of entrepreneurial energy. The investment in infrastructure is eye-opening. It’s an area in which they are not catching up with the West – they are overtaking us and leaving us floundering quite literally in the slow lane.

Dave and I took the bullet train to Hangzhou: 202 kilometres in 40 minutes and a processing efficiency through the stations (security baggage checks and all) which held us up for a maximum of 10 seconds. What a contrast with the dreary security lines at Heathrow!

This week: Arlesey, between Luton and Stevenage. Don’t come here for a holiday. It’s a complete dump. The highlight of my week is a lukewarm beer in the bar of my cheap hotel just outside Luton. I’m so bored that even writing a blog seems exciting.  There’s a reason T’pau didn’t have a hit with 'Arlesey in Your Hand'.