Devastation Tuesday

My world was tipped rudely off its axis yesterday when the best PA I have ever had handed in her resignation. Sonie Shaw has brilliantly managed my working life since I joined Pan Macmillan in June 2006. For the first time ever in my career I have been given time and space to do my job while someone else organises my meetings, sets up my lunches, maintains an immaculately conceived filing system and ensures that I remember everything I need to take to each meeting. They say that behind every great man is a woman but I think behind every really successful working woman there must be a super-PA. Sonie is not only that but she is absolutely stunning to look at, she's really warm and funny and, well, she just brightens up my day on a regular basis. She doesn't even mind that my 5-year old, Eden, thinks she's a real-life Barbie and likes to practise her make-up skills on her. I really and truly don't know what I'll do without her, but she deserves the sunny life in Australia for which she is deserting us, and I'll just have to hope I can have her back if she ever returns to the UK. Sob!