I tend to take this half term off as my wife teaches and it’s the last real holiday before the Christmas madness. A bit of calm, rest, and relaxation I thought would be nice.

I was wrong.

As my youngest daughter is in her last few months of High school & revision is the buzz word for her and her friends. When she asked me if a few of them could come round and cut up some pumpkins I thought that a nice break away from their textbooks and to have some physical connection and in person conversations rather than, a blurred photo with no sense or meaning that would disappear within 3 seconds and not totally engaging with one another would be good for their wellbeing & important for mental health.

So, after agreeing, I seem to have a member from Year 11 of most high schools in my house with pumpkin seeds going everywhere. The conversation between the group was polite, helpful, and supportive. I was quite warmed by the positive interaction & some of the pumpkin designs made me smile (of course a willy shaped carving still makes the immature James smile from ear to ear)

Seeing this group of young adults grow from babies into people who are revving up for further education and entering the big wide world has got me thinking about how Jim & I set up James and James & have nurtured her from infancy, just two of us and a dream that one day we would be a ‘player’ in our local market to now having our own young adult with 11 staff members across three different companies. James & James Sales, Lettings & Commercial LTD makes me feel like a proud dad looking, watching & soaking up the positive energy.

I’ve not found an instruction manual for how to be a good dad, nor is there a textbook that taught us how to start & grow a business after a global lockdown in a market that was destined to be doomed! But, as with our children, we put our best foot forward, make some mistakes, learn, grow, look back (but not for too long) and make sure we keep moving forward, regardless of what is thrown in our paths. As my Nan always said to me. Be kind James, treat others how you wanted to be treated and you won’t go too far wrong.

Trick or treat? I’d say, this adventure is by far a treat that I for one am eternally grateful for.

Happy Halloween!