Category Archives: 21st Century Britain

A funeral during the coronavirus pandemic

Those looking for business wisdom or thoughts on qual research, don’t read on: in this post I’m sharing a personal experience. It’s just one tiny tile in this national and global mosaic of coronavirus experience, but an extraordinary one – and perhaps worth sharing for that reason. My Mum, Phyllis Riley, died aged 90 onContinue reading “A funeral during the coronavirus pandemic”

National Crisis: a rousing motivational film for all Britons

Hard to believe it’s 25 years since this film, reserved for times of national crisis, was first shown on The Day Today. Click on the link here to watch, 2 mins or so:  The Day Today – Film Reserved For Times of National Crisis As the clock ticks down to 29th March, repeat to yourselfContinue reading “National Crisis: a rousing motivational film for all Britons”

Tell me now how do I feel?

It’s ‘Blue Monday’ today but worry not – McDonald’s are giving away free burgers this week and the European VP of Twitter Bruce Daisley has taken the opportunity to tout his book The Joy of Work:  https://www.standard.co.uk/business/bruce-daisley-blue-monday-is-rubbish-but-the-workplace-is-killing-us-a4044466.html I find the title probably the most depressing thing imaginable, but I’m sure it’s a good read. He triesContinue reading “Tell me now how do I feel?”

2019: sunlit lowlands

  Christmas has been a welcome break from my addiction to Brexit podcasts. Perhaps for that reason I’m seeing things less feverishly than a few weeks ago. No new answers to it all have emerged of course – we’re in a genuine pickle in this country – but it’s not time to give up onContinue reading “2019: sunlit lowlands”

Government divided and confused, so is public – but business means business

This from Sir John Curtice the other day is a great reminder of the realities of public opinion on Brexit: Curtice for the BBC: what kind of Brexit. I picture the dashing data knight as Cleese’s Sir Lancelot at the wedding in Holy Grail, running amok through the castle, wantonly butchering hapless garlanded politicians with his SwordContinue reading “Government divided and confused, so is public – but business means business”

Long hot summer of Brexit may be about to get hotter

Never make predictions, they say, especially on blogs that people might read after the prediction has already died a death. But after England lose 17-16 to Colombia on penalties this evening, in a bizarre shoot-out in which Gloria from Modern Family races onto the pitch dressed in a Carlos Valderrama wig, bearing the skull ofContinue reading “Long hot summer of Brexit may be about to get hotter”

“From Sappho to Suffrage: Women Who Dared” – and the women standing up in 2018

No one likes an uxorious man – but as my wife Prof. Senia Paseta is the curator of a new (and not untopical) exhibition about pioneering women, a plug seems very much in order. The exhibition opened this week in Oxford and is called From Sappho to Suffrage: Women Who Dared (Bodleian Libraries events page: FromContinue reading ““From Sappho to Suffrage: Women Who Dared” – and the women standing up in 2018″

Happy new year from Shore

I’m going to do more on the blog this year, he promises again – but this time he means it. But just to put 2017 behind us, I hereby recycle the Christmas tree of The Onion’s inestimable review of the year. Do yourself a favour and take a gander at the big stories of theContinue reading “Happy new year from Shore”

How To Reform Capitalism

The School of Life essay How To Reform Capitalism, (available at The School of Life shop), is worth a read for anyone engaged in the commercial world but who wonders about its values. Most of us then. Here’s the blurb: It is normal to feel frustrated and sad about aspects of modern capitalism. At the sameContinue reading “How To Reform Capitalism”