I’m going to have to stop using that joke, the one that goes ‘He has more holidays than Thomas Cook’. Perhaps I can insert the name of another travel agent, Hays would be a good fit. Not that the demise of the UK’s oldest travel company is anything to laugh about. The passing of any … Continue reading More holidays than Thomas Cook
Do moles drown when it rains?
These are the kind of questions that occupy my mind, especially if I have a quiet time. Recently I was perplexed by the thought that ‘if it is dark outside and you have the lights on and you open the curtains, will the room become darker? Will the light seep out of the window rather … Continue reading Do moles drown when it rains?
Struggling with my poppy
I have struggled this year with my poppy, not in buying one, that was easy, they are available in most places that I end up in. No, rather I have struggled with the tinge of Brexit that it seems to have attracted. In some quarters, noticeably on Twitter there has been a slight whiff of … Continue reading Struggling with my poppy
Coming into view
I like doing jigsaw puzzles. They are something that every semi-retired person should do between queuing at Boots for a prescription and writing angry letters to the council. I've written about doing them several times before and it is a subject I keep coming back to, partly because they fascinate me and partly because they … Continue reading Coming into view
A fair day’s pay at Brewdog
I think it is a sign of the times when I was walking down Dean Street in Newcastle to the Quayside I noticed an A board outside the Brewdog pub. On it was written ‘We are a real living wage employer’ in capital letters. I was so taken by the sign that I took a … Continue reading A fair day’s pay at Brewdog
North East Fraud Forum Conference 2019
This year’s North East Fraud Forum was a great event, it flowed well with excellent speakers and a cohesive theme - the key to preventing fraud is through the sharing of information. Surprisingly though it is an uphill struggle to get companies and victims of fraud to do just that. Let me start by telling … Continue reading North East Fraud Forum Conference 2019
Have a casual meeting
Waterston's in Durham is a company that I have long admired, really ever since I met its founders, Mike and Sally Waterston. The company is built upon their strong ethical values and shows that you can be successful while doing the decent and right things. I mention the company as I was down there for … Continue reading Have a casual meeting
Not Equal
Capitalism doesn’t have a conscience. It is a system in which money flows to where it can make the most return. If somebody can make it faster cheaper and easier the system will determine that they are the winners. Thankfully people do have consciences and it is they that can provide the bulwark against the … Continue reading Not Equal
Trimming the garden
It’s that time of year. The garden has had its well needed haircut. Actually it was overdue as we missed last year because the person we use had injured his hand and couldn’t wield the implements. Not that it’s a big garden. By the time we got around to finding someone else to the job … Continue reading Trimming the garden
Taking the pledge
Technology is yin and yang. In most cases it is developed for good yet can give rise to the bad. There is a continuous tension between technology and humanity in that innovation works to cover a need yet, as soon as it leaves the factory gates others have found an alternative use for it. My … Continue reading Taking the pledge
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 