As we enter the festivity period and we worry whether our post will be delivered or if we can fly for our Christmas break with BA.
 
And the national debt and forthcoming cuts in the quality of our life weigh heavily on our shoulders
 
And it would be easy to pessimistic about everything, consider this..........
 
A few days ago I came down to London to attend a CIM conference and the annual B2B Marketing/ABBA Christmas bash. I also took the opportunity to pop in on my youngest daughter Sophie who is working in advertising in Soho.
 
Both these events reminded me what a privilege it is to work in our industry.
 
Sophie sat around a huge table with 20 other practitioners amidst an atmosphere that was stunning
 
Whilst I am now non-exec with IAS, exactly the same feeling hits me each week when I pop in and see 60 people having a brilliant time solving clients problems...and getting paid for it!
 
Obviously sense of humour powers a lot in our business and it was abundant at the ABBA/B2B Marketing gathering.
 
Which reminded me of a previous ABBA event (long before B2B Marketing came into existence, bless it) which was held in Crewe of all places.
 
The evening was fuelled by the arrival of a certain Mr Geoff Dowel (then the owner of what is now Base One) who insisted on producing round after round of Tequila slammers. So what is unusual about that you may ask!
 
Well my predecessor as chairman of ABBA, Mr Jaakko Alanko, a life long teetotaller, was there brandishing his salt rimmed glass like the best of us.
 
We really thought we had worked a miraculous conversion until next morning, when, through a haze and severe headache he revealed it had been water in his glass....what a character. Thanks for the memory Jakko.
 
Just one small memory from 47 years in B2B, but is there another industry that generates so much pleasure for its employees and owners?
 
So, as we get depressing info flung at us every day, we and especially the youngsters, should remember just what a privilege it is to work in Advertising, and B2B in particular
 
Have a wonderful Christmas and generate a few memories of your own.