Dear Reader,

I can scarcely see to write through the waterfall of tears. After so many happy years in this office, this is my last Friday. I am a soppy, sentimental old fool when it comes to places. I remember first seeing this place and falling in love with it. The estate agent warned us off it – it was a six month lease on a building that was going to be pulled down – but emotion always trumps reason where your correspondent is concerned. It turns out that moving here was one of the best deals we did. A while back, in my recommended reading, I urged my reader to look out ‘Days’ by Philip Larkin (and incidentally, I read ‘One Day’ recently which began by quoting this short masterpiece in its entirety. Good book, One Day). Another of his great poems is, “Home Is So Sad”:

Home is so sad. It stays as it was left,
Shaped to the comfort of the last to go
As if to win them back. Instead, bereft
Of anyone to please, it withers so,
Having no heart to put aside the theft

And turn again to what it started as,
A joyous shot at how things ought to be,
Long fallen wide. You can see how it was:
Look at the pictures and the cutlery.
The music in the piano stool. That vase.

Anyway, change is good thing, I am reliably informed. Our new gaff is very much the spiritual successor to this place and also to Vine Hill, WMW office #2 which now only Russell, Tracey and I recall.

I hope you love it and are happy there. I hope you are very happy with where you sit. On occasions, take the time to come and visit your correspondent who has been relegated to a dark and gloomy place by Her Kateness, very much in the manner of Goneril heartlessly goose-stepping over the dignity of Lear.

Clerkenwell Road is dead. Long live Clerkenwell Road.

Richard’s Recommended Reading: The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick de Witt. Two murderous brothers travel from Oregon to San Fransisco during the gold rush, and have themselves adventures aplenty. The picaresque novel at its best.

Richard’s Recommended Records on the theme of moving offices: The Stars All Seem To Weep, Beth Orton. Listen and weep at its loss; Why Try To Change Me Now, Fiona Apple: melancholy late night torch song; Travelling Light, Tindersticks. I know I recommended Tindersticks last week but hey, they are darned good.