My wife is a Kiwi and so combining a winter holiday with visiting relatives and friends is a double win. After a family gathering in Wellington, we took the ferry to the South Island and the start of a five-day hike along The Queen Charlotte Track…
Read MoreAs we approach The Season of Goodwill and Peace on Earth to all men….and women… it seems the narrative is more hostile than ever. Is it social media or are we simply less kind than we used to be?
Read MoreAs 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…
Read MoreThis 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreIt seems that the expression “political football’ has gathered more meaning as The World Cup starts this week. In fact, it’s not a cup at all, but a trophy, once stolen and found in a hedge by a dog called Pickles…
Read MoreAs we all tighten our belts this week, we still see a relentless assault on our pockets from this year’s seasonal TV ads. Soul-crushing, Mawkish or Downright Twee” suggests the headline of a review of this year’s crop by…
Read MoreIt's our turn to organise the annual New Year's Eve dinner party for local residents all of whom are in their 60s, 70s or 80s. We sent out invitations last week to around 30 people and asked them to confirm their place and let us know about any allergies or aversions they may have…
Read MoreFeeling a little weary this week? Join the club. Your circadian rhythm has been mucked about with by order of the government, and half of us are struggling to make it to News at Ten, for no good reason. Let’s go back in time…
Read MoreIt 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…
Read MoreThere 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.
Read MoreThis 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.
Read MoreMy 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…
Read MoreLatitude is a wonderfully inclusive festival where young people can be let loose and those of us theoretically more mature can do the same.
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