For ten years after being recruited by Richard into his team I had a series of Black Books. Everything I needed to do or remember was in the Black Book. Notes from every meeting I attended (and these occurred daily), every phone call, every conversation. It was in the hotel restaurant each evening in case I thought of anything for tomorrow and on the bedside table in a morning.


Listed in the back of the book is a ‘To Do’ list, a list of all jobs required to be done prioritized into order. When a job is complete it is crossed out and new jobs are added during the course of the day. Weekly a new list is created with just the outstanding jobs in it. I hear you say ‘not rocket science’ and I, of course, agree. Every computer, electric organizer, mobile phone, filofax etc has a ‘To Do’ list option. But the problem is you guys have not met Christine, my wife.


What these books do is give structure to a day. So here we are on the Monday following my retirement, obviously aware that I need to plan how to use my time effectively, I walk into the breakfast room and ask the simple question ‘what are we doing today’. What I did not know at this stage, having worked away from home Monday to Friday for 10 years and only ringing home on a night, was that weekday mornings were not a good time to discuss future strategy.


So I ate my wallpaper paste and waited for the end of LK Today. I then suggested the same question. Maybe a bit of ironing, might go into to Beverley Arms for morning coffee, whatever comes along came the reply.


How can I plan my days effectively with a ‘maybe this or that’ and by waiting to see what comes along. So I explain the usefulness of the Black Book and ask for a list of jobs that need to be done and enter these in the book. We’re rockin' an' rollin' now we have it sorted. Ten minutes later Christine’s outside potting plants in the greenhouse. Potting Plants, Potting plants, is it in the book – No!. I explain the principle again and I adjust the list.


I make a few phone calls, confirm the Norwich Union has increased the life insurance policy, check the cover on the car insurance with the Prudential, contact Sky to let them know the Skyplus box is not recording again (that’s a saga for later). Phone a few people from work because that’s what I do on a Monday until I remember.... Not anymore. I cross the completed jobs off the list and create a new list for Tuesday.


When I come to the breakfast room on Tuesday morning with the Black Book in my hand suddenly Christine has found the ability to talk before LK Today has finished. She explains to me that for 10 years she has run the house, looked after the finances, attended to repairs, arranged social activities all without any help from me. I am asked:
‘What bank accounts do we have’ – I don’t know.

‘How do we turn the washing machine on' – I don’t know.
‘How do we work the dishwasher’ – I don’t know.

‘When’s the TV license due’ – I don’t know.
‘When’s the mortgage paid’ – I don’t know.


Christine then explains very simply that if she ever sees the Black Book again she will insert it somewhere very painful and goes out to coffee with Vivien. I look to see if ‘going for coffee’ is in the book. It’s not.


The book lasted until Wednesday. Now we both get up, eat our wallpaper paste and see what happens. If we need to go somewhere it’s on the calendar, other than that no plans. But what Christine doesn’t know is that I am planning the return of the book. It is still a good idea, we do need structure. Somewhere out there must be people running courses on how to manage time, perhaps without using a Black Book, I just need to find them.