The week gone by has been pretty good for catching up, as weeks for catching up go. What with the London visit at the weekend, I followed it all with a curry and drinks with Jon on Tuesday (trying out the Z4 – nice), then a pub run with Tom last night, though my scheduled housewarming with Will and Charlotte was postponed.

I also heard from yet another Tom from the old skool, who has passed some work my way. I think I’ve managed to salvage a pretty good social calendar for the past sever days considering how despondent I was becoming two weeks ago. Such is the life of a busy freelancer.

I read an article this week that Mark Boulton mentioned and was motivated to do something with my creativity. As a result, I think my output that day improved and I managed to tackle a couple of design problems that I had been stumbling to resolve for sometime – I even got all ‘modern’ with a brand wheel I’ve been working on as part of a collaboration with Rattle. Different, but very enjoyable.

I’ve been really impressed with new TV comedy Outnumbered on BBC One. Definitely my One to Watch at the moment.

Finally, and on a hopeful note, I wish adventurer Steve Fossett the best of luck wherever he is. Hopefully the search and rescue operation will soon conclude with him being found safe and well.

Friday took me down to see Swan, Devito and his new Missus (Ainowa, pronounced ‘I Know Her’ or for those not good at Spanish, ‘Arnold’) in London.

Duffy joined us a little later on in Walkabout and we ended up all going our seperate ways for the night after a little bit of business card banter, a little bit of being thrown out of a bar, and a little bit of sleeping on the pavement.

The next morning I met up with Sammi in Covent Garden for pasties and talk about her new charity… I’ve not really been involved in this stuff properly before (not on a permanent basis anyway) and it’s really good that I’ve finally found a way in and to help contribute.

While we sat above the pasty shop we were also entertained by London’s Fittest Fire Fighter competition which spanned all age groups and at it’s toughest, focussed on a 15 and a 16 year old girl doing a hose run in full breathing gear up 10 flights of fire escape. It looked knackering from over the crust of my fat chicken pasty.

In the afternoon I went to see John in his new house in Barons Court and stayed for food (the only reason I ever visit John) before slipping back over to Duffy’s to get ready to go out in Angel.

Butts & Sean joined us at The York before moving off to The Embassy and finally The Big Chill. I was glad we had managed to get together as it was sheer luck we were all available this one weekend. When we got back in it was getting lightish, so I took Duffy’s sleeping bag and went to sleep out on the sunlounger on the balcony. It’s not often you get to watch sunrise over the London skyline, and with Duff moving out shortly, it is going to be the last at that flat at least.

Next morning I was up and off and back in The ‘Bridge after a greasy breakfast and a return train home. Good times.