Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

It's taken me longer than normal to read this, but I've got there in the end. Part of the reason for the lengthy read is that I didn't actually want to stop reading it at all. Maconie's writing style is deeply engaging and every chapter contains far more than just 'information' about one particular date, despite that being the premise of the book. I learned more about events I've either heard about or lived through than I expected. Several of the days coincided with relevant anniversaries as I read. Yesterday was 50 years since THAT football match. There was much discussion in the first chapter about votes for women, which I was reading when the nation decided to go for Brexit. At least I had my cross on a bit of paper, even if was - once more - ignored. I was reading the chapter about the opening day of the Somme on the centenary of 1 July 1916 and it was a poignant reminder of the tragic loss of life in that whole war and that day in particular. It...

Thanks to a good friend, I now have a cushion that says it all. I discovered this moveable feast called jazz in 1979 and there's no looking back. Thanks, Robert, for this visual reminder of an auditory life. I've had years when I've barely played a note and some when I've not listened to much. That makes me sad. Never again will I allow my tastes and passions to be subdued.

For the last three or four years, I've covered an annual event for Royal Mail and the photographer has been Holly Wren. She's extraordinary - fits in well with the team and puts the subjects she shoots at ease. Her results are always exactly what we need and she's a pleasure to work with.

The offices were tiny, the carpet stank and the basement was damp and foul. But we loved working there. Onwards. Always onwards and the new AB offices have so much SPACE!

I had the bath moved so the light from the window fell on the floor. Now the floor needs sanding and staining. But a real improvement. To me. It's the little things.

If you have the chance to offer work experience to a student about to go to university to study a subject linked to your business, do you do it? I'm spending some of this week helping a young woman see whether the work of a London communications agency is something she'd be interested in. Hopefully, it'll also help her see what daily working life is like. Update to come later in the week!