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A quick update on the Honeymooners: at this very moment they’re hang gliding somewhere in Rio in Brazil. I’m sure Ange is going to have to hold Enda’s hand in this little venture as he finds it scary cycling down a little hill, so how he’s going to manage being up so high is hard to fathom.  They return to Bondi a day after Gene and I do. Ange is our training partner and Enda has been appointed my Special Counsel on Iron Man Training. So I’ll be curious to see how gentle they are with Gene and yours truly when we hit the road in Bondi. I’m fairly sure they’re both been working out regularly as Ange is relentless in pushing Enda out before the sun rises for the early morning workout. I’ve not managed to do much after leaving Judy’s in Vancouver and Gene has focused on doing the sights and delights of Paris and London. This is the year of the Iron Man for me.  I’m fairly sure Connor and Marc have signed up and others have as well and they’re probably all into it already. Not to worry. It’s still summer in Sydney.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I'm in a much less exotic location, sitting at Heathrow with Gene waiting for our flight to Singapore. Its back to Bondi and the warmth of a Sydney summer (after a quick visit to Singapore). After Paris the week in London has been like a whirlwind.  Here's a sample of the people I've been meeting with to give you an idea of what's been happening: Monday: Head of Crime for a major police agency in England; Tuesday: former Permanent Secretary to a major Government Department; former Local Government Ombudsman for England; Wednesday: the Minster for Justice Crispin Blunt; former Chief Justice & Chair of the Prison Reform Trust Lord Woolf; Phillip Knightley, Journalist; Thursday: senior officer with one of England’s major banks; Director of a Charity advocating on behalf of victims of crime; David Williamson’s agent in England; Executive Director and Chairman of the Restorative Justice Council; Friday: Chief Constable of a large police agency. Each of these people is a leader and person of major influence in their field.

The individuals aside, I got to visit places most of us never get access to. On Wednesday morning I got to hang out in the House of Commons and have a private meeting with the Minister for Justice and his Personal Assistant.  It was a stimulating and focused meeting. The Minster was impressive, articulate, interested and keen to stay in touch.  We’ll oblige. In the afternoon I persuaded Gene to meet us in the City and join us in the House of Lords for our meeting with Lord Woolf. We had tea in the Lords’ Tea Room which was a ‘spot the political face/name’, always a favourite pastime of mine as a devotee of UK politics. Lord Woolf is a superb host and once we’d finished talking business he took us on a tour of the House, which is impressive in every way. The Throne Room alone, where Liz sits when she’s got a gig like opening parliament, is worth the visit.

I was working with my friend and colleague Lucian Hudson, whom I’m sure I’ve mentioned before. It was through Lucian’s good graces and extensive network of influential contacts that we got to meet the people we did. Each of the meetings was followed by an in-depth discussion with Lucian on its implication for our entry into the UK market and the evolving strategies that can support that. What surprised me was the extent to which the work I did here almost ten years ago is still regarded as the quality bench mark when it comes to using Restorative Justice in criminal matters. We’ve been back and forward intermittently in the last ten years and it seems the case for opening ProActive in the UK is strong. However anyone who’s had any experience in opening a business in a foreign country knows it’s expensive and high risk. It’s early days in a very uncertain enterprise, but we’re off to a grand start. I’ll keep you informed as we go. And finally, when not out to dinner with clients, it was catching up with Jade and Bala which is always a treat. Looked at from another angle, it meant no training all week – none!