Friday 24 July

Staying with long-suffering friends in Edinburgh, get up early and creep about, then for a run through the Georgian magnificence of this city until I find the banks of the Leith and run along those.

Fairbridge pays me generously in all sorts of ways, giving me far more than I give it, and I love it, but it doesn't pay the bills. They are sorted by Graphite (qv, incomparable private equity firm of unique culture and brilliance) and TMP (qv, incomparable recruitment marketing and services company of sparkling creativity and buzz).

TMP has offices in a number of the cities where Fairbridge has centres (Edinbugh, Manchester (Fairbridge 2 centres), Birmingham, Bristol, London (Fairbridge 2 centres). Fairbridge also in Dundee, Glasgow, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Cardiff, Southampton, Chatham: total Fairbridge centres 15). TMP also in Leeds and Dublin, maybe Fairbridge will be too one day.

So today after an hour with the fundraising team of Fairbridge in Scotland and lunch with its Director, I drop in on TMP Edinburgh, where the customary delight of seeing our sparkling team is further enhanced by meeting a highly colourful and entertaining client.

That reminds me, for what does "qv" stand? Or the easier "ie"? Or for that matter "eg"? Or "et al"? Or that teaser "cf". I'll do some research and let you know tomorrow.

Today nothing added to the coffers. Not a bean, not a sausage, not a dicky bird (not that we want any of those, particularly the sausage). Will we make it to the revised target? Help. Total stays at £11,753.33.