Why is it that so many people are winding down for their Easter break this weekend, the Royal Wedding next Friday and all the other lovely public holidays that are coming up, while John and I are having to cram our full week's work into a much shorter space of time, over and over again?

Not wishing to sound too Scrooge-like, if you're managing to have a break, do enjoy it. And if, like us, you're going hell for leather in an attempt to make sure you actually get some time off... Best of luck!

Of course Spring  - and Easter in particular - is a time for new beginnings. Let's hope we all come back to our desks next week feeling revitalised and more able to deal with the difficult economic climate in which we find ourselves.

And those of you who've lost jobs in the downturn and have struggled to find something new, I hope that something comes up soon.

Our first story today has nothing whatsoever to do with the KBB industry but it made me laugh out loud part way through a particularly stressful couple of days in which I flooded my office, set fire to my computer and lost all the files on my spare one, so I'm going to use it.

If the pernickety need a hook from which to hang the story, bear in mind that many of us travel overseas for business. Indeed, John and I are producing a 'Daily' from an exhibition towards the end next month and are both excited because we get to spend the week in Verona. I'm delighted that I had not thrown my passport out with the paper recycling after all and that I'll be able to join John as he goes through passport control.

Confused? Read on...

Yours,