I booked my hotel in Detroit today � for the first three days of March � I decided that as it is not a very long stay, I would go to the place I had used before in Dearborn which is slightly more expensive (not by London standards). Its quite near the airport and has got a really good business centre. So that�s a stake in the ground. I can mess around with the details at either end eg whether I spend Wednesday and Thursday and Friday night in New York or not � and if so where. I am sure I will be able to get a flight from NYC up to Detroit pretty easily � they seem to cost about �100. I have also booked some house contents insurance since my flat is overflowing with gear of different kinds and will be neglected for about a fortnight.

I mailed Jeremy Burn who is acting as the DTI automotive agent in the USA. Jeremy has an early 70s Strat and is into Sonic Youth � I promised to bring him a copy of 10 Short Stories. I also wondered whether to take one for HM Consular General Chicago Robert Culshaw who I rather fell out with just under a year ago over our Polish Matt. RC plays various instruments and bought Serious Music which he quite liked.

Matt was locally recruited and we put a lot of effort into getting him into UK automotive. When I was in Detroit last he spent a whole afternoon showing me the history of D (which he is obsessive about) � right down to the place where the Jackson Five first auditioned for Tamla and where Henry Ford first learned about engines � magnificent. Matt�s wife was recalled to Ford Global HQ from Chicago and they let him go. Talk about madness. Anyway that�s water under the bridge and I am sure Robert�s effortless charm and Aramani suits will work their magic on me as they do on everyone else.

A research report on managers� current concerns came in from Roffey Park � they do one every year.. The 500 managers think currently that the greatest demotivators are lack of recognition, poor management and bureaucracy � sounds familiar. In fact I was so impressed with the report that I immediately bought Politics in Organisations from the same team � why its growing and why it may be a problem.

Mail from Peter Chatterton immersed in building a website � sounds very overwhelming.

I had a brief chat to Tracy about the latest fashions back at the house of fun

I mailed CDs (finally) to Seaview, Jazzwise and Gilbert. The latter a version of the 10 longer stories � and I immediately began to think of all the other material we have semi-developed that sounds as if it deserves better. Tomorrow I am going to a place in the Cotswolds on the River Cherwell � I think I might take the non motorway route.

Did some background reading on MC5 and the scene from which they arose � no wonder Detroit feels so familiar.