I’ve spent a very pleasurable morning this morning with this young man. His name is Chris and he worked with me for a couple of years 5-7 years ago. Since then he’s been living and working in Australia with his wife Analisa and their little daughter.

Chris has been over to the UK to have the baby christened and to show her off to her grandparents and great-grandparents. While he’s here, he took the opportunity to come in and spend some time with me looking at some of the services we provide in the UK to determine whether or not they would be transportable to Oz. I still find it hard to believe that he is a Director in our Australian office as he seemed so young and inexperienced when we worked together.

On his first day in the team, he turned up to work with a black eye and several cracked ribs from injuries he’d sustained playing rugby. Apparently he did exactly the same thing when he joined out Australian office too! We wondered what sort of man (boy) we’d employed and hoped he would turn out OK. It was pretty strange going to see clients with someone who looked as though he’d been in a bar-room brawl.

We had such fun working together and over lunch today we relived some of the good and bad times that we’d shared while traipsing all over the country trying to sell a service that was ‘too advanced’ for the industry and never really got off the ground. Our exploits included a trip to Manchester, during which we had a good laugh at his response to whether or not he would ever marry Analisa ‘we’ve got to like each other first’. We argued all the way home (a four hour car journey) about the statistical validity of a technique that he’d used in a data calculation. On another day, we went to the pub after a meeting and I fell asleep on the train on the way home, ended up far from where I needed to be and managed to get my car clamped the following morning because I’d been in a station car park and my ticket had run out. When I had a nasty bout of shingles, he came to my house to prepare a presentation with me (I was too ill to go to work) and he got all miserable because he got a frosty reception from my ex (who rightly felt I shouldn’t be working at all). We joked for ages about how he’d been served a cup of tea made from dog wee by him (I don’t think it was really dog wee).

Funnily enough, I’d never have thought we’d end up staying in touch so many years later but we’ve communicated by email and our friendship has stood the test of time. This morning’s discussions certainly made me realise what a good time we’d had all those years ago.

Chris, DM and I will come to see you next, he has a thing about Oz.

I've had a number of 'good' PBASE experiences recently, including some messages from non-PBASE supporters who are looking at my diary. Thanks to those from outside the PBASE community who have left comments. It's so nice to be able to give some 'reality' to the experience. So many people look each day but only a tiny handful identify themselves and comment. I think they are spurred to comment from seeing something that relates to them. Anyway, I appreciate your comments.