Keith finally got round to taking his gap year in 1986-87. After a thorough cost-benefit analysis, he decided to abandon his initial idea of a global tour majoring on drink, drugs and casual sex, in favour of living in a remote cottage in Northumberland and writing the definitive, unpublished comic novel about the pre-Big Bang City. He does not rank this among his better decisions.

Rejoining some former Streets colleagues in late 1987, Keith spent 16 years, 3 months and 9 days with the leading consultancy Hudson Sandler, where he was – among other things – a notably uninspiring managing director and a predictably pointless deputy chairman. The rare high points of these years included his involvement with the successful Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries bid for Marstons (including defence against Pacman counterbid) and the subsequent, epic 12 month defence against Robert Breare and Pubmaster. His key achievement, however, was at no point being sued for sexual harassment.