Bleats and Blogs

I am always reticent to call someone on their mobile since I am acutely aware of the possibility that I may be irritatingly interrupting them from something important at best, or at worst, dangerously distracting them. So when I do, I make a point of asking up front...

Recent news got me thinking. In managing my business I considered what is better: a one-off cost of living “bonus” to immediately alleviate domestic financial pressure or a salary increase reflecting some agreed percentage of current inflation levels? As an economist...

Every few months, my colleague and I have a discussion about the pros and cons of social media. I am not a fan and I fret about how much personal information and how many images people unwittingly launch into cyberspace. It always reminds me of a train journey I took...

Many years ago, while visiting a zoo in the UK, I witnessed an interaction between 2 primates that taught me a very valuable lesson about negotiating a commercial deal. I was in the primate enclosure admiring a huge orangutan. He was sitting at the gate to his...

Regular readers might recall I once wrote a heartfelt blog about a surreal and frustrating conversation I had with an enormous telephone company. After nearly 2 hours of being put on hold, my temper and bladder were at breaking point and I swore blind that companies...

Years ago I had a 92 year-old neighbour to whom I will refer in this blog as G. She was a character of note, a forceful and outspoken nonagenarian who would tolerate nowt from anyone. I once witnessed the G response to a poor hapless soul who dared speak in slightly...

My fifteen years of living in the countryside, 9 years in Hampshire and 6 in Devon saw me share that space with a wide variety of wildlife. From streamlined stoats, noisy owls, phrenetic giant green woodpeckers, lilac kingfishers, scary badgers, road-sense challenged...

I firmly believe everyone is entitled to harbour a guilty secret or two; it’s what makes us human and interesting.  Mine is not so much a secret but an obsession. Where Imelda Marcos squirreled away shoes, I horde cookery books. I just cannot resist. My collection...

Yes we have all done it. Scrolled down twitter or facebook, logged into youtube and watched videos of other people’s pets doing wacky, hilarious stuff. I confess I have even visited the doggy FOR SHAME website where dog owners upload the most obnoxious and antisocial...

Later this month, Southdown Duvets is doing something very unusual. We are sponsoring a world record shearing attempt. Under normal circumstances, I would not support a competitive event involving the shearing of sheep where speed is at the core of the process. I have...