Happy Birthday to, well, me

As regular readers and long-time friends will know, I’ve been hanging around the AML locker room for many years now.  I started out as a self-employed person, and then in the same fortnight in 2003 two potential clients said that they would have chosen my training except that their large multi-national institutions were not allowed to use self-employed contractors.  The time had come to incorporate.  Rather sadly, I quite enjoy forms and applications, and it was no hardship to become a company – but a suitable name was a bit tricky.  I’ve never been fond of self-referential company names, although that’s mainly because of my own name – you try living with Grossey for a while (that’s Grossey to rhyme with bossy; no, not Groffey – Grossey), or indeed with the initials SPG (Special Patrol Group – not a good reputation, apparently) and you’ll sympathise.  And then over lunch one day my father said in exasperated tones, “You’re always thinking about crime!” – and there it was, the perfect name.

So it was full steam ahead with Companies House, and on 2 October 2003 my beloved Thinking about Crime Limited was born.  Known in our house as “tackle”, the company is therefore nine years old today – and still just me, my technical husband for when it’s all too complicated computer-wise, and my in-house stress counsellor (she’s tabby and purrs a lot).  And I am delighted to say that I still look forward to work, and still think about crime, and still hate money laundering.  Thank you all for sticking around as we cruise towards the decade.