It's been a hectic 24 hours :) We've spent the last few months in conversations with some folks at a large London mobile company, about a possible merger between them and FP - and drew these conversations to a close at 3pm yesterday, agreeing amicably to go our separate ways. In one sense this is good; FP by itself is experiencing an absolutely mental time right now and 2007 is already our best year ever. Coping with a merger would have been pretty painful, on top of the staff, new office space, and everything else to help us cope with demand for the voodoo that we do.

But in other ways it's a bit sad: we really rate the guys we were talking to and like it or not, FP is growing up as the rest of the mobile industry does. We're getting more structure, process, and frankly professionalism - and like everyone in our position, we're desperately trying to do this without losing that lovely small company, bunch-of-mates feeling we've enjoyed for the last 6 years. We see consolidation as inevitable within mobile, and this would've been one route to do that.

So after all that and a day of other meetings, a wander to Swedish Beers with the crew of the good ship Hotxt was most welcome. I've never seen Nordic Bar so busy - nice one Helen! - and it was great to catch up with Alfie Dennen (who I could've sworn I'd met before), Andrea Trasatti, the ever-present Mike Butcher, and all the other usual faces.