Personal – H.J.Scott & Co

20/05/202620/05/2026

Reflections

This morning finds us over 8500 miles from the office, watching the sun rise over the Timor Sea off the Northern Coast of Australia. We are on our travels again, this time in celebration of 40 years of marriage. A ruby wedding anniversary! It is a little unsettling as my memories of ruby wedding celebrations centre around old couples, St. Gregory’s Social Club (famous as the club used for Peter Kaye’s Phoenix Nights) and finger buffets.

It seems apt to reflect on our married life so far, our journey, on a journey. A cruise, especially one like this one which will cover thousands of miles, is the perfect metaphor for our own personal journeys. They say travel broadens the mind. By definition – “It emphasises the idea that seeing and experiencing new places and ways of life enriches one’s perspective, helping intellectual and emotional growth”. Travel on a six star cruise ship certainly broadens the girth.

The only constant ….. is change.

Anyone who has travelled on the oceans and seas can tell you the sea is always there, it is constant, but it never remains the same. At times it looks almost oily and flat, reflecting the dark end of the spectrum, appearing charcoal black. Then again in shallower waters the sand beneath reflects a beautiful turquoise hue. However the real elements of change are the tidal flow and wind direction. At times working with the ship in the direction it is heading, allowing for a smooth passage. At others working against the ship making for a “sporty” period, which can last for hours or even days. Our life’s journeys’ also inevitably pass through calm and stormy periods.

18/12/202518/12/2025

Merry Christmas

Howard, Lesley, Melissa, Charlotte & Obi wish you a peaceful Christmas & a prosperous New Year.

The office will close tomorrow, but as usual we will be responding to urgent emails on all non-holiday days.

The office will open once again on the 5th January.

26/09/202526/09/2025

Congratulations Melissa!

Next year on March 6th Melissa will have been a member of our team for 20 years. Astonishing isn’t it. Back in 2006 when she joined as an administrative assistant on £16,000 a year, the business and indeed the profession looked very different. Insurance companies and fund management companies ruled the roost. Her full time job was obtaining information on behalf of clients from companies, who were steadily slashing resources and cutting service standards.

Today that industry stranglehold has gone, platforms deliver accurate data over the internet in seconds, that used to take 5 – 10 working days to secure. Often the information was incorrect and required a follow-up question and answers cycle. If your position today is simply getting information over the phone or via the post your job has now disappeared.

Melissa saw that evolution was necessary and set out to up-skill for a very different future. She started her studies and steadily accumulated enough examination passes to equal those of the average financial adviser in the UK. A level 4 qualification, equivalent to passing the first year of a university degree. This level of qualification is enough for most in the profession, but not for Melissa. She continued her studies.