When we arrived on Friday there was a small amount of snow still on the ground from the ‘big freeze’ a few days previous. Gemma thinks snow is incredibly romantic so I was happy with even a small amount still on the ground.

On Saturday we got up nice and early to a bright and sunny day which meant most of the snow had now melted but nevertheless I was determined to follow my plan. We took the underground from Holborn and went  just five stops to Lancaster Gate to find passengers huddling in the entrance to the underground. We couldn’t believe our eyes, I must have done something extra special in a previous life because the heavens had opened. I had hoped for snow, this was a blizzard!

I took Gemma across the road to Hyde Park where I had planned a romantic stroll to Knightsbridge. My heart was racing, I had made it this far without Gemma noticing the ring box sticking out of my pocket, even though we had been crammed in on the underground like sardines! We made our way towards Knightsbridge and in the middle of Hyde Park, in the middle of a blizzard, this was it, the time was right, I stopped, got down on one knee, took the ring from my pocket and asked Gemma to marry me…

She said yes!

Everything had gone exactly to plan, I couldn’t have asked for more. We walked out of Hyde Park and into Knightsbridge to Harrods, one of the many places in London that Gemma had always wanted to go. We stopped for drinks, cake and ice cream, we were on cloud nine, we both couldn’t stop smiling and to be honest the rest of the day seems like a blur, I guess this probably had something to do with the champagne!

I booked the car in to be checked out at Vauxhall and must admit they did a very good job. They identified that the heater blower motor had packed up and even had the part in stock to replace it there and then. After about a two hour wait it was finished and its obvious now that the old motor had been on it’s way out for some time. The new one, on full power, could remove paint better than a paint stripping heat gun!

After having the heater fixed there was more bad news to follow, the service manager told me that both front tyres were bordering on illegal and needed to be replaced. I made a call to a Jet Tyres, a company not too far from my house and they were £35 cheaper per tyre than Vauxhall. Needless to say I decided to pop in there on the way home and get them sorted, it’s always best to shop around for the best price!

On top of that expense I also had to pay £215 for my road tax and my car still needs a full service plus the air conditioning needs to be re-gassed. So far this year my car has run my bank account dry, right to the last penny. A total of nearly £1000 worth of repairs and necessities! Ouch!

Oh, I forgot to mention, my MOT is due at the beginning of next month plus my car insurance is up for renewal at the same time! Owning a car is expensive!

I stopped the car and rushed over. The women told me he had stumbled into the road and she had hit him with her car. The man had a large gash on his head and was covered in blood. Fortunately he was conscience so I asked him to keep hold of his head and not move in case he had any other injuries.

A few minutes passed and I was anxious for an ambulance to arrive. Then the situation became even more serious. The mans head rolled back, he closed his eyes and stopped breathing. After checking his breathing for about thirty seconds and not feeling anything I rolled him onto his back. My heart was racing as I checked his airway and called to the man to regain consciousness. Soon after he made a gurgling sound and tried to breathe. I rolled him back into the recovery position as he spat out mucus and saliva and started to breathe again. To my relief, a minute later, a paramedic arrived, swiftly followed by an ambulance. I stepped back and let them take over.

It was only a few months ago that I took a week long HSE First Aid at Work (FAW) course and passed. It’s the sort of thing you do because you are given the opportunity not necessarily because you think you may actually have to help someone. I’m glad that I remained calm though and instantly remembered what I should do in that situation.

I will never hear or see from that man again. I walked away with muddy knees and his blood on my hands, face and legs but ultimately a sense of accomplishment and increased confidence that if it happened again, which I hope it never does, I would have the courage and compassion to aid anyone if they needed my help.

I sat on the floor for a few minutes clutching my ankle, hoping that I had only jarred it. When I managed to get to my feet I knew that this was the last match of the day. I hobbled to the car and managed to drop Darren off at home and drive back to my house. I was in a lot of pain and it was getting worse by the minute, but still I hoped I could walk it off. I got in the shower and my foot began to swell up…

Thursday night was very painful, I didn’t sleep much and decided I should go to the hospital the next day to get my foot checked out. After having four x-rays taken I went to see a specialist who informed me that I had broken the corner of my navicular, a bone in the top part of my foot. That explains my obvious inability to walk!

I’m now on crutches and needless to say I won’t be playing squash any time soon!

It may turn out to be yet another fad similar to Delicious that falls by the way side but I am more than willing to try it and see. I hope it will become a useful tool that will help me meet new contacts, liaise with existing partners and stay up to date with old friends.

I have installed a plugin to publish my personal Twitter posts directly here on my blog which you can see on the right hand side under ‘What I’m doing’. If you already use Twitter please feel free to follow me!

I was determined to avoid the pandemonium this year so started my Christmas shopping early. By early I mean, October! Two months on and I feel absolute satisfaction that everything has been bought, wrapped and is now ready for Christmas weeks in advance. Late night shopping on Christmas Eve is no longer an option in my mind. 

By buying presents months ago it has helped me spread the spend and also means I now have the luxury to kick back, relax and enjoy everything that makes Christmas so special. I am free to do as I please now and am looking forward to all of the events I have planned from now until the new year.

I found an interesting article this morning entitled ‘Kick back and relax’ written by Romanus Wolter a few years ago. His notion is that:

“As entrepreneurs, we often let stress get in the way of our success. But while we are driven to succeed, we need to realize that taking time to relax isn’t a gift for ourselves, it’s necessary and an indispensable part of performing at our peak and staying sane.”

I see myself as an entrepreneur but this statement can apply to everyone no matter what their situation. It is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of putting up with the every day stresses in our lives, getting worked up or feeling anxious and tense. All of this pent up aggression and wasted adrenaline should be channelled into something more creative and with regular periods of relaxation however brief, it is possible to bring balance and control to every aspect of our lives.

To read the full article by Romanus Wolter click here.