And just like that I was made redundant ...Planning Day 1 - Wednesday 3 October 2007
Welcome to the start of a journey for me (the tall guy on the right here) ... and maybe for you if you want to check this blog out over the next 12 months or so.
You see, at the age of 35 and a few months short of birthday 36, my employer, The Lawn Tennis Association, decided to re-structure the development of the sport in Great Britain. And in doing so complete a 12 month period of re-aligning their operations to a new Blueprint for British Tennis. A trendy document aiming to, FINALLY, really put British Tennis on the world map. It's bold, radical and in good hands under cool leadership from people like the bloke in this photo. My old manager (yes Matt, 'manaha he manaha', Fawlty Towers, Circa 1970s) Mark 'the gruff Yorkshireman' Hamilton.
Good old Mark. A top bloke. Sound of mind. Astute of nature. And forget about all the corporate stuff (which he played with a very straight bat) the kind of manager you felt was on your side. I'll miss his dry humour. He was very supportive as I attempted to gain a promotion. Well, that just wasn't meant to be. And to be perfectly honest. I'm glad. I was asked to apply for jobs at my own level during the re-structure but I've been pretty unhappy with that job for a few years now. So I guess I came to a cross roads. And, instead of taking my usual, reliable. 'dependable Jez' safe route straight across ... I thought... stuff it ... I'll turn right for a change.
And boy is that right turn way better than going straight on. You see, the Association is a solid organisation working tirelessly with little thanks and much criticism. But I have to say they're treating me very well as I signed up today to redundancy. And that treatment's opened up a great opportunity for me to finally fulfill some boyhood dreams ... and travel the world!
As a kid I read Tintin books about far off places over and over. As an adult I watched Indiana Jones enviously adventure in exotic places. And I even managed to look past Angelina Jolie's tight-fitting outfit to see the stunning locations she jumped around in Tomb Raider. And now I get to try it all out for myself ... or at least some of it (the world's enormous as I'm about to find out!).
So there's lots to do including:
Get that draft schedule definite ( a meeting with Trailfinders is top priority)
Complete the sale of the APARTMENT in the next few weeks (not a flat remember guys!)
Find out my final, final date of work (perhaps this Friday - gumph!)
Buy that rucksack (the most common word in the English language Robbie?!) and stock up on North Face outdoors gear
Fulfill that dentists and doctors appointment to service me up ready to hit the road
Get vaccinated and visa'd ('just a small prick sir')
And so please check back - this blog's intended to keep family and friends up to date and sleeping easily - safe in the knowledge that I'm alive and well during my adventure!
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