The list

A few years ago I was given a book of lists, if you like that kind of thing it was quite interesting, although having being forced out into the open about writing down the names of Eddie Stobbart lorries in earlier times recently by my wife to my children I am a little more circumspect about my appreciation of 'lists'.

In my defense I will say that I refrained from looking at the list of the Top 20 lists of all time, although it was tempting.


Most people have all sorts of lists, shopping lists, birthday present lists, holiday packing lists etc. I have a secret list (ok not any longer). It is not a list of the Top 10 women I would like to engage in deep and meaniful conversation, nor is it my first XI for either England for the Villa, or even the 10 things I should do before I am 50 - mainly as I only have about 6 weeks to go. No this list has professional ramifications. As far and as wide as I have travelled there are place I would dearly live to see and experience that regretablly I have not seen. So despite the bravardo at industry encounters about knowledge of the world the simple fact is that it is dammed near impossible to have visited everywhere - so there is a list, my personal list of places I would like to see and experience.


The list has to remain private as it could be seen to influence several quite selfish attitudes/approaches/decisions. As a professional buyer I am lucky enough to be invited by destinations try to sell their wares. Such invitations are of course measured against 'The List'. The professional assessment and of course integrity is how such invitations measure up against the standard of the ability of being able to sell the destination to clients.


Thus far I am happy invitations accepted have been for the correct professional reasons......but the list remains and the sands of time keep falling.


P