Well I put the Xmas decorations up yesterday. Don’t worry, I’m not one of those chav households that has an illuminated inflatable Homer Simpson dressed as Santa in his front garden. At Chez Lock, we tend have a more humble approach to Xmas decorations, pitching our tent in the “Hey, look it’s the 1970s again” style of festive attire. We have an old synthetic tree from Woolworths which must be about nine years old now, some tinsel and some fairy lights around the front window that just screams 70s chic.
You can tell it’s Xmas because business start to close and people are laid off. Reading that job cuts are being made by Wicked Witch Sly Bailey at the Daily MIrror, it reminds me that I’ve still never forgiven her for indirectly making me redundant at Xmas 2001 from IPC. The ITV news channel is closing down and newly redundant are coming to a job centre near you. Why do they always choose Xmas, I do not know. Something to do with the financial year coming to an end, I heard, but there’s nothing more miserable than waking up on Xmas Day redundant. I spent January and February 2002 very sick with worry and it got to a point that I didn’t sleep for a week, such was the level of my insomnia through sheer panic. It’s something I don’t think I’ve ever recovered from. You put your faith into a company and you trust them and then one day everything changes without warning, especially when the head of the department says to you directly: “There will be no redundancies in this department”. Oh well, that’s life for you, ain’t it? Life’s shit and then you die. Any joy you find should be treasured because its worth more than a diamond encrusted platinum brick.
Well I read yesterday that one publisher I work for has ceased trading shares and has a debt of £25 million and is worth just £2 million. I submitted an invoice to them for five months work a while back and their system means that I don’t get paid for three months – such is the life of a freelancer. Anyway, I am sitting here biting my fingers raw worrying that they are going to announce liquidation before Xmas and I’m going to be up the creek with out the paddly thing. There’s no recourse for freelancers when companies go bust – you just have to write off the debt.
Fingers crossed, eh?

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