Much of the success can be put down to the weather, of course. What a summer it was. And it seemed never-ending - just like all those summers we all have memories of from our schooldays, with hot, lazy days stretching to past bedtime.

Those were the days, eh?

And so it was that we came to the Southampton Boat show wondering what would happen. Most companies felt 2003 would not match the record-breaking 2002 and had targeted slightly down.

So when they found they had reached their targets by the Wednesday, things were really looking up. And the season - and the sales - continued.

The markets in 2003 held up better than most had hoped and, judging by the number of companies going on to the AIM listings, business confidence is at a high. Certainly the atmosphere at METS in November was very bullish.

There is one blot on the landscape: the dollar, with fears of a $2 pound looming. Bush has taken the USA from a budget surplus of 2 1/2% of GDP into a 3 1/2% deficit since the Millennium and the pundits say there is no short-term fix on offer.

Now firmly separated from Prudence, is Brown taking us down a similar path?

And Europe is still a source of amazement. The constitution has been thrown out, but France and Germany may jump into bed together - to what end, we wonder?

But now we face our first ExCeL boat show. Many sharp opinions have been aired about the move, but we're here now and we've got a contract for 10 years. So it's up to us to make it work.

Provided the elements outside our control, like the weather, are kind to us, the £2m+ promotions campaign will bring in the crowds.

So it's up to us to give them a Schroders London International boat Show in association with The Daily Telegraph that they will remember.