Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

Although I’d never been a fan of The Jam, I was aware of their existence. Who couldn’t be in the late 1970s and early 1980s? I was developing a taste for jazz, playing sax in big bands all over the place and NYJO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra). Friends who were much better players than I would ever be turned me onto musicians I’d never heard of before and it was a period of real musical learning for me. I was also becoming politically aware, and it was Paul Weller and Billy Bragg who seemed to be putting into words some of the way I felt about life: “The public gets what the public wants/ But I want nothing this society’s got.” My English and Music degree studies at Froebel in Roehampton began in 1981 and I quickly became bored with classical music – I wasn’t a bad clarinettist but it just didn’t do it for me. I began to play sax in lots of bands in London and helped form the Fairer Sax quartet in 1982. Pop music wasn’t really on my radar until people I knew began getting gigs with ba...

I seem to have fallen back into the routine of regular hospital appointments for the various conditions and ailments that have befallen me in the last 14 months, What I really hate is the rapidity with which one falls into the institutionalised life. Waiting around because the registrar is running an hour late before he goes off for his lunch. Probably made worse by the fact that it is the registrar, not the consultant you were expecting to see. Across the waiting room, a couple of other waiters are comparing medical notes and sharing lengthy descriptions of their conditions. That's not in my nature and I'm glad I've brought both book and iPad. The knowledge that I'm probably not going to be seen for another hour is tempered by the fact that I know I'm not as ill as I was a few months ago and a bit of a wait isn't going to do me any harm. Now the guy in the bed across the other side of the room who's just had his arm plastered is crying with pain. Thankfully...

Posted via my iPad

There are many reasons for networking, especially if you're a small business. But if you're doing it wrong, you might as well not bother. I've been out on my own as a freelance writer on and off (more of the former than the latter) for nearly 30 years and it's only recently that I've explored the world of networking. I don't always get it right and here's some of the best ways to waste time networking. I know, because I've done most of them. 1. Forget your business cards. You do HAVE business cards, right? I don't care what they look like. I really don't care how much you paid a designer or a printer. If you've got that money to waste, good for you. I genuinely don't care if you use Vistaprint for the cheapest around. Just take them and give them out. Many will go in the bin, some will go into smart business card holders and never be looked at. But just one will get onto the desk of the right person at the right time and they'll ca...

On so many levels, the Mandela film released his week fulfils my criteria of Film of the Year. It's squeezed in at neatly the end of the year, but it knocks all other contenders way out of the field. Emotionally, this is a great film. Its London premiere coincided with the death of the man himself and I was watching it while his funeral took place. Biographically and historically, the film documents an incredible life, including 27 years in one of the toughest prisons anywhere in the world. The inclusion of stills and footage from parts of the story made it so real. At one point, I couldn't quite believe that Nelson Mandela was unaware of the huge outrage that his continued incarceration was causing around the world. It was so good to see his daughter take one of the button badges in to show him on her first visit. The locations are simply stunning. But then, South Africa IS a stunning country. The sooner the politics get sorted and the tourism becomes easier, the better....

I had an interesting experience today, as I realised that two of my friends have been dating for the last six months without me knowing about it. Now I realise that my not-noticing was caused by being totally caught up in my own woes for the last 13 months. Now, you could argue that it was understandable, as I was actually quite badly hurt/ill for much of that time. But the world doesn't revolve around me and now I've taken the blinkers off, I'm becoming more aware of others. It won't stop me being selfish from time to time. But hopefully I can get back to being more of the me I used to be. So, if you're having a secret affair, watch out - I might start noticing the signs.

Hitchin was heaving today for Small Business Saturday. Jolly good show!

So the legend and the man have passed away. Nelson Mandela was truly an inspirational man who helped change the face of South Africa and the world. In early 1990, I went to what was originally a 'Free Nelson Mandela' event and his release just before turned it into a celebration rather than a protest. I can remember none of the bands, but I can recall like it was yesterday the moment that Mandela appeared next to the stage. The cheering was immense and seemed to go on forever. It was an amazing experience. Just to see the man who had been imprisoned so long for believing in equality. A few years earlier, I had travelled around South Africa and the signs were there of dire segregation. His long walk to freedom helped so many people and his footprint lies on so many lives. Posted via my iPad

Confusion caused by fallen tree. Posted via my iPad

I have decided that 2014 is going to be a great year. It was a bad end to 2012, recovering from the car crash and then 2013 started well (fab 50th birthday) and just got worse (broken shoulder, frozen shoulder/s and tumour). So, 2014 is going to be a really, really good one. I have some ideas for my business and my personal life. Just beginning to put them into writing and making plans is putting me in a good mood. I wish everyone reading this the same - a fabulous 2014.

I visited a small business today that is actually ranked fourth in the UK in its industry. You wouldn't know it from its entrance, but once inside the door it was an inspirational place to work, full of friendly people obviously hard at work. A nice cup of tea, too. Finding them online, they're professional, clear about their USP and offer a good product at the right price. Who cares what their building looks like from the outside?

You will rarely find me without a notepad and pen handy, or at least my iPad. Today proved exactly why that's vital. I had a phone call from a guy who said "Hi, it's Chris from Royal Mail." "Yes?" I replied, tentatively. "You sent me an email," was his response. Oh, THAT Chris? No, because I send dozens of emails every day to people in Royal Mail, and there's more than one Chris. Luckily, as I played for time, I was able to find the page in my notebook that explained why I'd been trying to get hold of that particular Chris. And I was back in the room.

Looby Loo was on the hunt today and spent several happy minutes chasing two black squirrels. She was never going to catch them, but that didn't stop her trying. I'm going to take a leaf out of her book and chase the things I want. I may not succeed, but I'll probably have fun.