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In the month and a bit since I got back from Canada I’ve worked for three different clients in three different cities, which was about what I managed in my two and a half years in Canada. It’s certainly been a return to the consulting lifestyle - lots of hotels and not many nights at home. That’s not so bad though, it meant a chance to catch up with friends around the country and to see some more of this beautiful island kingdom of ours. I particularly enjoyed the two weeks I spent in Manchester although it didn’t get off to a very auspicious start (and it did rain ALL the time!).

I was in Manchester for some client training. The training itself was in Newton-le-Willows which I know you know as the home of Rick Astley but I was staying with the other ThoughtWorkers near Manchester Picadilly station. I got up to Manchester at about 10pm on Monday night but as the train came to a halt and I went to leave, my suitcase was nowhere to be found. There was another suitcase, of a completely different size and colour, but mine had gone! I have to say the chap from Virgin Trains could not have been more concerned or more helpful even last thing at night when he was done for the day. It looked like my bag had been taken by mistake so he took my details and even rang the previous station to see if anyone had realised having got off that they had taken the wrong bag.

All this concern didn’t help my short term problem which was that I was due in Newton-le-Willows at 8.30am the next day looking smart to begin the training course. I had the jeans and minging t-shirt I had arrived in, my laptop, some jaffa cakes and that was about it. I went round to the hotel to check in (need shelter!) and then asked them if there was an all night ASDA anywhere around. Indeed there was and a taxi was summoned to take me out there. It was just short of midnight when we pulled up outside the most gigantic supermarket I had ever seen, next to the Manchester City stadium. The lights were on and the George at ASDA sign gave me hope that I might be OK.

Oh George! You saved my life.  2 pairs of trousers, 3 shirts, socks, pants and a pair of brown leather brogues all for under £100. Global capitalism came to my rescue that night and for that I thank it. I thought the stuff I’d bought under emergency conditions was actually nicer than the stuff I had lost - the shoes in particular are much more comfortable than my old work shoes. But I still hoped to get my old stuff back - I had my iPhone charger in that bag and a few bits and pieces I would rather not replace. As luck would have it on Wednesday night I was through in Liverpool visiting Alice and having just bought a new suitcase to transport all my new clothes home I received an apologetic call from the person who had taken by suitcase. Actually I think it was his people rather than the man himself but anyway his people were very sorry and said they were coming up to Manchester on Thursday and would drop off the case at lost property. This worked perfectly for me as I was returning to London that night. I thanked him very much and felt vindicated in my faith in my fellow man.

He proved as good as his word and when I was done for the day in Newton-le-Willows I arrived back at Manchester Picadilly station and found my case waiting for me. I got the train back home very relieved to be reunited with all my stuff, a feeling that was only tempered slightly when I got home to find everything was as it had been minus one iPhone charger. People - eh!