buckle-up

  Finding ourselves between meetings on both sides of the North Sea, it only seemed fair that we succumbed to the temptation of making the crossing by ship. After all, it was a long holiday weekend back in North America as both sides of the forty-ninth parallel celebrated historically important events. To say it was a sleepy time for all involved would not be accurate and yet, suggesting fireworks doesn’t seem to convey the significance. For Australians 1776 marked a change of destination for ships out of England as one day it was off to Georgia and the next, to Botany Bay. Eking out a little downtime while maintaining a working schedule is always a difficult proposition at the best of times and yet, relief was at hand given how Wimbledon was in full swing as was the ashes battle between old sparing partners, Australia and the Marylebone Cricket Club (Otherwise known as England and Wales). Not to mention that supporters of St Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox were in old Lond

Having only returned from a business trip that included stops in London and Edinburgh, it was just a few weeks later that we boarded a flight to follow a similar itinerary. Mixing a little business chatter with an opportunity to visit old haunts wasn’t so much a chore as it was yet one more opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the greater London town we are getting to know well. When you find yourself back in a place you only left a short time before, such familiarity doesn’t take long to take hold. Many years ago, I happened to be on a trip to London as part of extending the reach of our business. While I was there, I was given the opportunity to visit a hotel that could serve the HPE NonStop community well as a place to hold a conference. It was a Hilton DoubleTree with a location that placed us close by to many of London’s main attractions and while the designated chatter often extended into the wee hours, being able to step outside to dine by the Thames in the late twilight