“We will ride on the dust of days.” (Vladimir Mayakovsky)

Last day at the office. I am glad to see the back of 2008: it’s been an incredibly challenging year, full of ups and downs, hellishly busy. It’s been the year of Barack Obama’s historic victory and the year when the Great Western Bubble burst. The year of Beijing’s Olympics and the year of my younger son’s first word. A year which brought us hope and uncertainty, happiness and worries in equal measure.

Here’s hoping – from me and everybody else at Alma – that 2009 will not be so gloomy as many Cassandras have foreseen, but bring prosperity to everybody in their private and professional life.

AG