Tears everywhere

It's been an unhappy day in my family.

I got home to find my elder daughter in tears because Britney Spears had shaved her head. She's threatening to do the same "in solidarity".

My son had managed to burn his little sister with candle wax, making both of them cry.

My wife was in a fury because she'd taken the children into London for a half-term Natural History museum outing, and she wasn't aware that the congestion charge now applied to K&C. Believing entry without prior payment meant an automatic fine of hundreds of pounds, she took it out on the children when she discovered her mistake. Then she decided - now she was "in the zone" - to make the most of it and visit me at work.

This is generally a bad idea anyway, but today it was hopeless. Most considerately, she turned up at lunchtime, not realising that 12-2 is often my peak slot. Never more than today, when I had three investment banker clients all wanting to talk tactics against the event that Peter Hain's insane suggestion (city firms should give away two thirds of their bonus pots to charity) ever becomes more than wishful thinking. I don't think this is likely, but there's not much any of us can do if Labour go down that route. "Emigrate" will be my professional recommendation.

Anyway, these three bankers all wanted to see me in their lunch break, meaning mine disappeared into back-to-back meetings, complicated by the fact that we couldn't let any of them spot each other near my office. By chance, all three work for the same firm - we really can't let them know they also share a private banker.

When my wife finally got the message that I wasn't able to see her for an hour and a half, she shouted at the children again and raced back home. (She doesn't normally raise her voice - the CC fine spectre had a powerful effect on her) My attempts to soothe matters this evening were not successful. I explained that the congestion charge can be paid after the event, even did it for her, but this had the opposite result to the one I expected. Instead of saying, "oh that's all right then," she too started crying, and yelled at me, "so I shouted at the children for NO REASON!".

I suppose it's all my fault somehow or other. I'm taking refuge in my study until her sleeping pill kicks in.

Postscript: Is it true that Citi Private Banking is piling back into Japan? Brave souls after last time...