Hello everyone,

Benjamin Franklin has always mistakenly been attributed with the following quote:

“but in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

Granted, he did write those words in a letter to a friend, Jean-Baptiste Leroy, in 1798. The real origin, however, goes back to Christopher Bullocks’ 1716 book, The Cobbler of Preston, wherein he writes:

“‘Tis impossible to be sure of anything but Death and Taxes.”

Whatever the origins, it rings true to an extent. Other things may be said to be equally certain: inserting a flashdrive incorrectly the first time and having to flip it around, for example, or spotting an empty parking space only to find it occupied by a really short car that was not visible from 2 metres out.

And so too, alas, are increases in prices. What is certain and true for everybody is that prices go up. Whether you are looking at a shopping list or you are a company watching your expenses, things go up. And so it is with me. Here then are my prices for 2017: