Tired and bad tempered from clearing the entire downstairs of my house for a group of builders who have, at long last, gutted the place following a flood in May. Last week, I realised that we had been managing too long in the offices with a recession-designed skeleton staff. With books looking healthier, I decide the time has come for recruiting drive and rapidly place a handful of job ads. One of the early responses to the ads arrives via post and is, I sense, far from right. I therefore decline and am greeted over weekend crazy, abusive email about how the individual concerned would not want to work for us anyway, we are obviously complete c****, etc etc. Normally, I rise above similar epistles. Today, I give in to temptation and respond: “Possibly, but on the other hand I run a successful business whereas you are out of work.” Not proud of myself. On the other hand, I feel lots better for standing up for myself for once.