Working lunch

I had lunch this week with an old friend and colleague.

It’s 20 years since I first met Jacqui. She was working as a consultant to a PR firm called Kaizo that was recruited to work on Forest’s campaign against the workplace smoking ban.

It was my first direct experience of working with a public relations company since I was in PR myself in the early Eighties.

Back then I was a lowly account executive and I found dealing with some clients quite frustrating, so I was determined not to be THAT client when working with Kaizo.

In particular, if you hire someone for their creativity and expertise, don't fight or continually dilute their ideas because the end result will probably please no-one.

If they get it wrong the chances are you didn't brief them properly and they misunderstood what you wanted.

On the other hand, I once had to work with a graphic designer who was so hostile to any feedback I found it quite stressful, if not intimidating. Then again, I was 22 and it was my first job.

By coincidence Kaizo's office in Margaret Street near Oxford Circus was very close to the office Forest moved to when we left Audley House in Palace Street in Westminster in February 2005.

A small team, including Jacqui, was assigned to the Forest campaign (Fight the Ban: Fight for Choice) and we had great fun generating ideas with Kaizo’s creative team and executing them.

Subsequently employed directly by Forest as a consultant, Jacqui has worked on numerous events and campaigns, and to quote the late Cilla Black we’ve had a lorra lorra laughs.

For the best part of a decade she lived in Pembrokeshire in Wales, but a few years ago she moved to Herne Bay in Kent where she opened an independent bookshop.

The Little Green Bookshop is now in its third year and doing well, despite the difficult financial climate and opposition from the likes of Amazon and big high street chains like Waterstones.

Among the things we discussed this week was a forthcoming Forest lunch at Boisdale of Belgravia which is part of our 'Freedom Up In Smoke' campaign. Watch this space.