Being told you are someone who ‘thinks outside the box’ is a compliment. Are people ‘stuck in the box’ and is that a compliment too? It’s a curious question. Whatever the nature of that box is, it must have an inside and an outside, and there must be a purpose in being in and out of it.  

The Angel Gabriel seems to take a starring role at Christmas. Despite appearing on many Christmas cards, I didn’t know much about him, so I Googled what angels were up to. To make “God’s message understandable to people and help them to accept it with a pure heart” seems to be the job title. The essence of this message is to simply love one another. In which case, there are angels among us. Over Christmas 2023 I had the great fortune to spend some time with one or two.

You’ve heard this all before, haven’t you? Hopefully, you’ll be as cynical as me when you just read it. Yet I believe I can save you thousands, tens, or even hundreds of thousands of pounds and make the biggest contribution to the environment. Want to know what it is? .

Some people do Soduko, paint, do jigsaw puzzles or watch telly, I enjoy fixing things. There is something deeply satisfying in extending an object’s life. Saving lots of money or the landfill it might have taken up is a bonus. It’s probably the same joy felt by someone solving a challenging puzzle or winning at Cluedo.

Considering the historical industrial powerhouse that Britain used to be, what went wrong? After the decline of Britain as that powerhouse, it transitioned from the “nation of shopkeepers” to what we have now: a nation of consumers. Judging by appearances, it seems these consumers consume excessively.

It started in the 70s with the birth of the health and safety culture. In the early 2000s the mantra ‘safety is our priority’ crept into public life. In 2023, safeguarding is the activity on virtually everyone’s mind who lives in public life.

This particular house in Norwich was one of 7 others the landlord owned just in this particular street. The landlord owned another 40 or so properties elsewhere in the city. All but one were privately rented out at suitable ‘market rates’. Although I thought 47 properties sounded a bit excessive, it isn’t uncommon for a private individual to own this many.

The UK is a leaky bucket and we’re looking in the wrong place to keep it full.

It’s clear the UK has some serious problems ranging from rampant obesity, poor mental health, demoralised staff, anti social behaviour and decaying roads. Are we looking for the solutions in the wrong place? That’s what this article is about.

Prices are Rising! Are you worried?

I know the media is prone to create headlines that induce worry into its readers, but the prediction of increases in the cost of living are probably real so I think we need to get used to it. Is it such a bad thing?

Hurry! Don’t Miss out! Save! Limited time only. Click here. Etc.

Have you ever studied a cauliflower and looked closely? It sounds odd, but having rediscovered cauliflower cheese recently I’ve also discovered the beauty of the cauliflower.

This question has frustrated and challenged me for years. It has helped me understand new things and showed me how little I understand most things. The question is: “How hard can it be?”.

Some background: before moving to Norfolk in 1987 I grew up in North London on a staple diet of Star Wars and old World War 2 films. ‘Show me your papers’ was a common request in the war films and led to me realising how thankful I was to live in a free society like the UK.

The abundance of biographies out there published during lockdown suggests people are finding time to do things they wouldn’t normally do. Well here is my contribution: writing about my desk.

Another day of the morning routine. Wake up. Make coffee. Let chickens out. The half-awake routine was wonderfully interrupted by something other than the chorus of eager chickens wanting to break out of their house and have breakfast. There was a big egg in the run. Bluey greeny sort of thing that had to have come from something much bigger than a chicken, after all, it seemed to weigh about as much as one of the chickens so the hole it came out of was much larger than the ones chickens had. Read more