Page 80 of Love Letters on Hazel Lane

‘What have we got for this week?’ he said. ‘There’s a pre-recorded interview with the director of that new film… what’s it called again?’

Hannah was the first to jump in with the name.

‘What else is on the table? What’s topical at the moment?’

The ideas began to fly around, David nodding enthusiastically. Jo jotted everything down on the back of one of her festival ideas sheets – she couldn’t find a blank page in the work section of her Filofax, or any other section come to that – to email round the team later. The merits of every idea were debated.

‘Anything else?’ said David. ‘Before I make a rather important announcement.’

On the spur of the moment, Jo decided to pitch a half-baked idea that had occurred to her during the preparations for the festival; she hadn’t had time to think it out properly. ‘I was wondering about a mini-series. A strand, running across several programmes, each episode featuring something people do to overcome loneliness. Like board games groups. Or Knit ‘n’ Chat mornings.’

She glanced round everyone’s faces to see how the idea had landed. Both researchers looked bored. She caught Leona rolling her eyes at Hannah. Sam stared impassively ahead as if he was in a different world entirely.

‘That’s not a bad idea,’ said David, ‘but I’m not sure it’s right for us. Loneliness isn’t sexy.’

‘It’s topical,’ Jo said. ‘The newspapers often have articles about it.’

‘That’s true,’ said Caroline. Jo smiled at her across the room, but she was looking at David.

‘It wouldn’t appeal to our demographic,’ he said.

‘But we know that 63 per cent of our audience are female and more than half of them are over fifty-five,’ said Jo. ‘It’s exactly the kind of thing that would appeal to them. Most are probably retired and have time on their hands.’

‘We’re trying to appeal to a younger audience,’ said David.

‘Okay, but it’s a common misconception that loneliness only affects the elderly. In surveys, more than a quarter of people in the UK aged eighteen to twenty-four report that they often feel lonely.’ Jo wasn’t quite sure where she’d got those stats: probably one of Gemma’s articles.

David laughed. ‘We can always count on you, Jo, to come up with the numbers. Anyway, moving on.’ He closed his notebook and Jo felt her entire body deflate as she realised he was indicating that that was the end of the matter. ‘Caroline, would you like to make the announcement?’

‘Yes, okay,’ said Caroline beaming round the table. ‘I wanted to let you all know that Paul and I are expecting our first baby.’

A couple of people clapped.

‘Woo-hoo,’ said Leona.

‘Congratulations,’ said Sam.

‘When are you due?’ said Hannah.

‘Who’ll do your maternity cover?’ said Jo.

*

Caroline took Jo to one side after the meeting and explained that David had decided that Leona would cover her maternity leave.

‘She’s competent,’ she said, ‘and enthusiastic.’

‘But she hasn’t been here long,’ Jo said, ‘and she hadn’t even worked in TV before that.’

‘David feels that you haven’t had your eye on the ball recently. I mean, there was the programme budget that you forgot to save…’

‘But I didn’t forget. I’m certain that I saved it.’

‘It wasn’t there though, was it? And then when we needed you to go filming, you had another commitment.’

‘It was short notice.’

‘Yes, but Leona cancelled her plans for the weekend so that she could go in your place.’