Happy New Year – what a great start we have had in the world of Private Service with plenty of jobs and salaries reflecting how appreciative employers now are of the skilled staff who keep their Domestic Life running smoothly.  The Pandemic has been an eye opener for households whose principals worked from home and could see the hard work and juggling it takes  their staff to keep their domestic lives running smoothly.  But it was more than that .  Staff are often devoted employees and develop relationships that are warm and intimate.  This wonderful book written by a young man I met on the streets of Aldburgh Suffolk on New Years day when I had a chance trip to the coast.  We had a conversation and he told me about the relationship with his elderly employer Denis Elliot which became a friendship without boundaries.  This book captures the life of his employer who he admired and valued. Its an incredible story with a character with values similar to Captain Tom a long life lived well.  At the end of his life last year Denis was supported by Philip so he could remain independent and dignified.  The book is a tribute – you feel as though you were sitting there during those conversations between Denis and Philip – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orphan-High-Flyer-Denis-Elliott/dp/1838433007