Transports of joy

Just like busses, two new excellent and discerning corporates have joined the 1000 Metre High Club at almost the same time.

Ken Hillen, Scotland's regional director of the Bank of Ireland, signed up to help support breast cancer care and research by donating £1000 to my BoobyBirds fundraiding drive. Scottish dealmakers he works with know he's one for saying the word and getting it done ASAP - as he did in this case! I will take a leaf from your book and get your receipt back to you, Ken, as soon as possible too!

The other new joiner is David Lockhart, executive chairman of Stockland Halladale. It just so happens that David remains at the helm of the property company that owns our fine new offices, One Sixty in Fountainbridge. So top landlord marks for David and a big thanks to the chaps at Stockland Halladale.

Albeit I did have to clear up some confusion. David wrote: "Mind you I thought the 1000 Metre High Club meant something else." When I admitted the name of the club was designed to raise I smile, I asked him if my strategy succeeded. "It did," he admitted.

Awesome Women

Being a language magpie, I sometimes have trouble with adopting, then overusing, certain words. On my recent trip to Canada, I seem to have picked up (and am currenlty over-using) the word 'awesome', like I'm some sort of recycled teenager.

So that is why I have to say that the inaugural Women's Informal network event last night (Monday 16th July) was awesome. Not in the sense of 'inspiring dread', rather in the sense of 'marvellous, excellent'.

Having organised the thing I certainly had more fun than I expected to, but then again the people who came were all women I'd met before and thought - they're rather cool (or awesome, as the case may be...). Not only this but the hospitality provided by the Radisson SAS on the Royal Mile was awesome. I've often thought that it's perfectly feasible to make a balanced dinner out of red wine and canapes, and I certainly wasn't disappointed this time!

The hotel's generosity didn't end there either. Leisure club manager Natalie Gallagher pledged 20% of any spa treatments booked on the night, and last time I spoke with her that was £65 towards the pot. Not that anyone there needed beauty treatments of course! But we are worth it...

The good news is as everyone paid a tenner (some paid more!) we also raised £300 for Boobybirds. Awesome!

Thanks Charlotte. Thanks Radisson SAS. Thanks Natalie - whom I hope very soon to be recruiting as my official Booby Buddy. Thanks to all of you who came. And we plan to do it again on August 28 - bigger and better - and still no effing bake sales. Pencil it in your diary, I'll be in touch soon.

L to R: Jenny Kumar from Liddel Thomson chats with our gracious host for the evening Charlotte Pyk who works for Radisson SAS.

Denise Gibbons of Turcan Connell and Ann Marie Shillito of Anarkik3d seem to having some serious talk.

Birds of feather smile together

L to R: Penny Haywood of PHPR, Sue Mitchell of Spotondata, freelance writer and broadcaster Lesley Campbell, me, and Gillian Campbell of MacRoberts all get grinning for this shot.