I am beginning to think that you and I are the only people who are not on holiday. Clients, judges, officers seem to go away. Everything gets slower at this time of year from the point of view of getting decisions and things done. Yet the pace of work in terms of clients does not slow down.

Most of my clients are not going on a cruise, camping or a few days in a B&B as they are already being held at public expense in a full-board establishment of one type or another. They tend to get unhappy when told their fee earner or secretary is not in. Most clients do not say, 'well he really deserves that, please wish him/her a good break', no they say, 'who will be dealing with my work then?' and of course when the solicitor returns just as he/she is unpacking the box of ginger biscuits bought at the airport, the client phones wanting to know what has happened on their case. Clients are demanding and want answers not excuses.

I have noticed that holidays seem to be inversely proportionate to the status of the individual who has them (I don’t mean that to sound as snobby as it does, but here goes). The cleaner goes to New Zealand for a month, secretaries to Portugal for a fortnight, solicitors to France camping for a week, partners to a B&B on the coast for a few days and the senior partner stays put hoping for a few days in the autumn perhaps. Or perhaps when I retire (if ever).

David Pickup is a partner in Aylesbury-based Pickup & Scott