Gloakoma

"Gloakoma", AJ was fond of saying "is an ocular deformity which prevents the patient seeing anything uncomfortable or incriminating." Then he would giggle and jump back into bed beside me. Of course I knew Gloak was up to his neck in everything. AJ described him as "that unscrupulous uphill gardener". But AJ also had something on him. Rather a lot on him I expect. We all remember the vintage Merc, and the pomposity of the man ordering strangers to polish it. We also recall his moments of madness or, as AJ used to call them, his "indefatigable efforts to devalue the eight-bob note". Gloak had his nose in the trough and AJ knew. It was Gloak who acted on AJ's behalf and did his dirty work. It was Gloak who helped broker my pay off. This is probably the last pose we'll ever see of the man grinning as he clutches a fat cheque.

Up the Ardoyne!

I adore this event.

Mighty men let their hair down - hair permitting, of course! It can lead to new contacts, big contracts and lots of freebies, frolics and good old-fashioned fun.

SouthWest One has bagged the number one slot in the exhibition hall this year, right next to IBM. These two pitches must have cost a pretty penny, but who's counting. I'm sure AJ isn't. The price has gone up a bit. £665 per person. But I've already booked a double room at the main hotel. After all it is well worth getting close to the action. Just ask the hall porter, he'll show you up. And there's a lovely view of the city as well as me. See ya there!

Off again?

Well now! Who'd have thought it! And just when he's in the midst of pouring all that money into the new house. But that's my man all over. He always reckons the art of being really settled is to be permanently on the move. His hands always were. And now he could be off again to do a bigger job. Hmmm. I guess that's why he cultivated all those contacts across the Tamar. He's always telling people about his visiting academic position at Plymouth University. But not a lot of people remember him there. Hardly surprising. You can't move for people with his name in Cornwall. Common as muck they are, and all of them promising to change your life for the better. I reckon he should fit in like a well worn pair of marigolds