Last Saturday, I returned to Nottingham for the MS Ball, which was raising money for the local Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre. A chance to dress up, see old university friends and have a good time.

This is not a photo of me at the ball. I still don’t own a (useable) camera. This was taken six years ago during a first year university ball. The photo is relevant because I still own the same bow tie.

Ball highlights

• Friends complaining about being 25. As a 24 year old I wasn’t among those complaining – but a six year old photo does makes you think.
• Random bidding on rounds of golf from someone who doesn’t own a set of clubs, play and lives 100 miles away from the course.
• Shouting “lower” on a charity auction is in bad taste (sorry).
• 1am is past my bedtime.
• Realising that we have no keys on the way home.
• Desperately ringing 118 118 for an emergency locksmith.
• And I quote “I’m sorry, but I’m going to try breaking into out own house before calling you back”
• Being hoisted into the kitchen extension roof by a guy with a broken wrist in a cast
• Climbing through the window, disabling the alarm, opening the front door, saving £70. Not priceless, but a welcome prevention of a depletion in net worth.

Stories like this can’t be bought.

I say I live in Greenwich whenever people ask. But I’m technically in a Lewisham postcode and spiritually closer to Deptford. Yes, I do engage in postcode snobbery. Saying I’m from Greenwich makes me 10% cooler. The practice is pretty rife in London, unlike in Liverpool, which is equally great everywhere -  and makes me 100% cooler.

Both Liverpool and Deptford have had a history of deprivation and poverty. Both are trying to shed their bad reputation. Honestly, you won’t get your tyres stolen in Liverpool. Times have changed. Now, your identity, credit cards and wife will be stolen while you are admiring your shinny new tyres. The money will be used to buy Mozart tickets. Capital of Culture 2008.

The news coming out of Deptford is dire (look up “Deptford stabbings”) but I do believe that things can change. The area has been recommended by the New York Times. The East London line extension will be complete soon in June 2010. The most tangible sign of improvement is the opening of a Tesco Metro on Deptford High Street:

Tesco will save us! More importantly, it will save me a 20 minute trek into Lewisham.

Friday 16 October has been on my mind for a while. Today was the date of accountancy exam results. Passing meant I could stay in the job for a few more months. Failure meant I would be going back to Scouseland. The other trainees had been nervous all day. We’ve spent countless hours on consolidated accounts and tax computations – no one wanted a retake.

I passed. If you don’t believe me, you can search for my name on the ICAEW website.

I celebrated by performing a petty cash count with my flatmate on his box of change. I initially offered him £10 for the box, which he rejected.

The total came to £86.68 – including 454 hand-counted pennies. I’ve included some bottles of beer in the photo to dispel rumours that accountants were unexciting.

For me, relief trumps happiness. It’s a hard road to become a chartered accountant. The next step for me is to ensure the controls around cashing the money at the bank are working correctly.