Update

This is an 'update' e-mail I sent to my friends on 25th May 2007 which summarises the sort of thing I have been up to recently.


Dear All,

It is 5pm on Friday, the boss has been on holiday for three hours and it is the bank holiday weekend so I feel no guilt at sitting at my desk and typing up a quick note to you.

3 months into my first job and I imagined myself working in a local news room, starting on my way to being Director General of the BBC. Instead, I find myself looking after a collection of courses, bids and tenders for a University. My job splits into two halves: firstly helping organise and write bids for funds from Europe, the British Council, business etc to run courses or consultancy via Roehampton University. This brings in huge amounts of dosh. The other half of the job is actually running these courses and, particularly, the Erasmus Mundus courses. So I have weird days ... so far today I have spoken to the British Council in Ethiopia, the UK Embassy in Uganda, the UN in Turkmenistan, students in 23 countries and partner Universities in four different countries. It is quite mind blowing but enjoyable. I am even keeping up my media skills as I re-write the website, write press releases, produce new marketing material and I am about to fly out to Prague to attend some meetings as well as film some of out promotional DVD. It's not journalism but it is all good fun and decidedly better paid.

Life wise, I am busy. I live in Wimbledon just half a mile from the tennis (pop in if you're going!). I am singing with the Church choir when I can which is good fun and uses the old grey matter a bit. Also, I have now attended the first meeting of the Church in Wales Governing Body (the ruling body, like the Synod in the C of E). I made my maiden speech in favour of female bishops and found the event both fascinating and shattering. On top of this, I may be about to embark on a PhD part time.

The family are well ... Bro is now a stock manager at Sainsbury's Thetford and is in the processes of finalising his first house. It has only taken 18 months since putting in an offer...

I'm off to the Proms in the Park on September 8th and it would be great if some of us could get together and show the rest of the world how to sing... do get in touch.

For now though, it is 5.18pm and I am struggling to decide if I should finish the paperwork, do the washing or enjoy a nice cool G&T ... I think you can guess which will win,

Love and Best Wishes to all,
CJGx