The Secret Marketer’s farewell to the summer

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The summer holidays are drawing to a sad close. Soon it will take me twice as long to get to work in the morning as the school run 4x4s return to action. The evening drive home will soon be dark and miserable as the glorious sound of England’s victorious Indian cricketing summer on Radio 5 Live fades to a distant memory. Yes, it’s time to get ready for autumn, the run-up to financial year end and no doubt yet more gloomy forecasting.

Still, at least there’s only 130 days to go until Christmas. On a more joyful note, football is back and with it the diary management challenge of setting time aside for the serious business of office Fantasy Football. I’m confident this will be my year after an unprecedented amount of pre-season brand planning. Last year, despite no such planning, Jan from accounts walked off with the silverware, though she did let it slip at the end of season drinks, that her 13-year-old son had in fact been pulling the strings behind the scene. Remarkable honesty from the lady who makes a living out of telling everybody that their cheque is in the post.

…remarkable honesty from the lady who makes a living out of telling everybody that their cheque is in the post

Talking of the return of the Premiership, no sooner had Cameron sat back in his suede loafers with a bowl of olives and a bottle of Chianti Classico Reserve than he was called back to the political football caused by the riots. At least he had some fun racing against Miliband, Clegg and Boris to be the first to reach the domestic crime scene. My money was always on the PM, what with Clegg in Spain relying on easyJet, Miliband stuck in Devon traffic jams and Boris no doubt insisting on cycling there.

Those with little sympathy for politicians should note that this is not the first holiday Cameron has had to cut short this summer – he had to curtail an earlier break due to the Eurozone spendthrift crisis and was back from Cornwall for Libya talks this week. It’s a similar story for Obama, whose latest jaunt to Martha’s Vineyard looks set to be reined in by Gaddafi.

By contrast to political life, the corporate sector offers a reliable safe haven to the nation’s business leaders, who can spend their recess hypnotised by addictive BlackBerry checking.

Even if the proverbial hits the fan while you are away, it is rare not to be able to survive remotely. Long may that continue.

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