Posts in LIFESTYLE
We used to call it winter

As an island nation where the seasons come and go, it’s little wonder that we are always talking about the weather. We are famous for it, ridiculed even, but we are addicted to the topic and just can’t stop. As a child growing up in Yorkshire, I can remember…

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Everybody out!

This was the catchphrase of The Rag Trade, the 1960’s TV comedy series filmed in black and white which was repeated in colour in the 1970’s. Starring Reg Varney, Sheila Hancock and Barbara Windsor the show shed light on gender politics and class war on the factory floor. The female textile workers led by the male foreman and business owner went on strike in just about every episode. Strikes were funny then.

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Naughty or nice?

The origins of giving gifts at Christmas began with The Three Wise Men bringing the infant Jesus presents, but what with the price of gold now touching fifteen hundred quid an ounce, frankincense 500 dollars a pound, and myrrh a massive four thousand, The Magi are a hard act to follow.

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Bare Necessities

It was a surprise to read the results of an Ipsos Mori poll suggesting that half of young British adults identify as naturists or nudists, and that one in seven of all Britons enjoy nudist activities in their spare time. However, it appears have been conducted during the hottest year in living memory when we were all sat around in our underpants…

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Sausage Sunday

There was a distinctly ‘sausagey’ Sunday in Suffolk this month. First was an attempt on The Guinness World Record for the number of animals on a sausage dog walk which stood at about a thousand (which was well and truly busted) but with a decided snag in the proceedings.

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The Pensions Hangover Rap

This week I spoke at a Financial Services conference which was snappily entitled Empowering Pensions: From Products to Outcomes. Other speakers opined on the search for new products and services whilst some talked about digital wizardry, algorithms and financial engagement programmes. There was discussion about how to get younger people to understand pensions, how important they are in later life, and how to persuade them to commence or increase their contributions in troubled times.

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The Decluttering Dilemma

My wife and I have to move out of our house for perhaps a year whilst it undergoes repair and refurbishment. This was not something we planned for but a decision thrust upon us by ‘an escape of water’ under the ground floor quietly causing severe damage. Ever the optimists we…

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Freedom and fun

“People are coming into this time of life not wishing they were still working and productive, but quite the opposite. They’re saying: ‘Finally, I can do what I want, when I want and on my own terms. That’s what I’ve been dreaming of my whole life.'”

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LIFESTYLEIan Manning
What's the point

The point is its not just about the money.

Arranging a reliable income is an enabler for people to do the things that financial security is intended to bring. The gift of time.

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LIFESTYLEIan Manning
Bucket List Top 50

We took a look at what people see as their ultimate bucket list and were amazed at the sheer scale and diversity of what we found. Travel featured very highly and shows some commonality of destinations but for everything else the choices are endless.

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LIFESTYLETristanLIFESTYLE
My Generation

When peace was declared in 1945 the resulting rise in the birth rate produced a generation who would grow up free of fear and none-too-keen on suffering as their parents and grandparents had done.

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LIFESTYLETristan
Wellbeing

Statistically the most dangerous years of your life are the year you are born and the year you retire! For some stepping out of the rat race brings a sense of relief and opportunity, whilst for others it removes much of what defines them.

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LIFESTYLETristan