Thank you all for your good wishes. I used to freelance but got "persuaded" into taking this job - and how I wish I hadn't. My health has suffered greatly and I now tire much more easily than I used to. So much for the National Health Service!
Looking forward to the end of September (am only staying to get another month's pay in the bank to cover setting-up costs). Have already been offered a couple of jobs, so am working on those at the weekends and in the evenings. Knackered but happy!
Trudi - Dougal will be kept in the style to which he has become accustomed, I promise. He now has six beds scattered around the house, four different plates with different food in different places, and has just adopted my brand-new blanket.
Thank you too for all the good advice, I still need it as the market has changed quite a bit since I last worked for myself. Still, I do have a target market, so hopefully should be one of the first to do this, before a lot more follow me next year.