Corresponding with deranged 28 year old Josh Adams of Northants who prays for my complete destruction

I guess the piece on ShareSoc in the weekend newsletter pissed off a few folks. Roger, ShareSoc’s chairman, and I have swapped some really very friendly emails today. He is being a good sport and I have assisted him by putting him in touch ( at his request) with a cartoonist to make his site funnier and I am actually starting to like him ( a bit). I shall keep you posted in how that relationship develops. One of the other sharesoc directors suggests that I change my editorial policy. If he wishes to set the editorial policy of a blog he can start his own, this place is not a democracy.

However one 28 year old reader emailed me with the following. Mr Joshua Adams appears to earn a living working for Daddy but on Daddy’s time offers up the following thought. It warms the cockles of my heart to see the milk of human kindness flowing in this way.

The only reason I originally followed you was that I thought you were a train wreck (both financially and emotionally) and it would be funny to watch your ever lower fall (sic).

But now I don’t even find you funny. Your emails are now going into my junk email folder.

Presumably for such fellows unsubscribing is just too complex. I have replied to Josh, saying that I am concerned that he has some issues of personal inadequacy which he needs to come to terms with if he shares them with another. I am here to listen if needs be – and as someone who cares about his fellow man – I will assist if I can. But I really think that professional assistance is called for.

I think that blog readers will be aware that I have had a dreadful year with the lowlights including parting from Rivington ( the company I founded), my partner of six years and about 98% of my personal net asset value.

But you may note in some of my writings of late that there is a new spring in my step and I am, in many ways, healthier and happier than for many years. And with a new job contract agreed this afternoon I feel that I can afford to treat the lovely Petra (photo included once again in response to requests from a couple of readers) to something special tonight as I buy her supper on what is my last night in Corfu.

However we feel about various people to say that you enjoy watching their struggles in the hope of witnessing a final destruction, seems to be a bit odd. It sort of makes me think about horrid little boys who sit on the floor pulling the wings off birds or drowning insects in hot water just for the sheer hell of it. The mind can be a truly strange place. Young Joshua’s certainly is.