don't read the menu options and go directly to the page content 
Welcome to my new website

Many of us over 60 are counted out when part-time jobs come up despite our collective wisdom and abilities.

To counter some of this prejudice I have dispensed with sending my CV and have instead created The Complete Picture, an animated ninety second overview of my life to date @ https://vimeo.com/223960456.

 

 

 

Blog

You are here: Home / Blog
24
NOV
On Monday last, I was a guest of the Old Ipswichians at Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral which was sung by the school's choir. It was a very moving event. Afterwards we had a drink and supper.
24
NOV
It's been a busy week.....on Wednesday, I spent the day at Iffley Road, Oxford to chair the Stanley's trust for the first time, to host over 300 at lunch and to watch the Blues easily beat a Stanley's XV for the eighth year running. Jason Leonard was our guest speaker.
24
NOV
On Thursday morning, I spent a couple of hours with Mihir Bose discussing a film we are both keen to make on Indian cricket.
24
NOV
Social Networking 44 18-24 November 2013 Monday Jim Dawton @ Cork & Bottle Evensong @ St Paul's Cathedral Tuesday Geoff @ Pimlico Paul Derrett @ Adjournment Restaurant Wednesday Major Stanley's @ OURFC Bump Jason Leonard Simon Halliday John Webster Malcolm Phillips Peter Carroll Stephen Pearson John Purcell Clive Hooker Geoff Windsor-Lewis Ronnie Lamb Tim Stevens Steve Lewis Mike Simmie Thursday Mihir Bose @ Shepherd's Bush Great Retail Revival @...
24
NOV
On Saturday evening, we went to see Madam Butterfly at the ENO. It was simply stunning. The sets were sensational.  
17
NOV
Social Networking 43 11-17 November 2013 Monday The En Primeur Tasting @ Bafta Bump James & Andrew Hibbert Lynn Murray, Hatch Mansfield Patrick McGrath, Hatch Mansfield Tim Stephens @ OURFC Bump John Carter, Captain OURFC Committee Meeting Bump Ronnie Lamb Stephen Pearson Sir Ivor Roberts Brian Loughman Colin Smith @ The Oxford Wine Cafe, South Parade Tuesday Legacy Sub Committee @ Twickenham Bump Vic Luck Richard Hornblow Wednesday Lynne Ager @ Clarence
17
NOV
I spent most of the morning watching the first two episodes of the third series of Borgen which was just as good as ever. Having recently visited Copenhagen the scenes looked very familiar. Catch it on the iPlayer!
17
NOV
I had a great day at Twickenham yesterday. Andrew Bibby and John Webster joined me in the ERIC Clubhouse inside the West Stand. We all played for Oxford in the Centenary Varsity match in 1981 when Tony Abbott, now the PM in Oz, was on the bench.   The clubhouse was heaving with ex-internationals and though we lost we all agreed it had been a compelling game. England aside from their wingers and full backs have no pace or guile at 9,10,12 and 13 and they need a hooker who can throw the...
16
NOV
On Wednesday, with Lynne Ager, a fellow trustee at Trinity Hospice, we went Christmas shopping at Clarence House. Once a year the Highgrove shop is brought to town.......
16
NOV
It has been a week of pitching: ** to the OURFC about our joint plans for RWC2015 ** to a film company with two outlines one of which we are going to work up and ** to Camelot for a new mobile lottery format
16
NOV
Yesterday afternoon our team spent a couple of hours pouring through our plans for next year. WE have a client we are working with and we discussed and debated our proposition......we are stronger and stronger as we flesh out the parts.
16
NOV
Last night, I went to see Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts at the Almeida and tonight I will be watching the opening of the third series of Borgen. Having recently had four days in Copenhagen, I am hooked on all things Danish! Ghosts is a dark play about late 19th century Lutheran morals centred around an all too familiar dysfunctional but reasonably wealthy family. It is a very clever construct with the interweaving of the various relationships laid bare. I suspect it caused quite...
12
NOV
There are ways and ways to celebrate Monday mornings but few would rate as highly as the most serious wine tasting organised by Hatch Mansfield who look after a number of key vineyards across the world but not alas in Italy!  Nonetheless there were over 100 classy wines to taste and I bought a case of Chorey-Les-Beaune and a case of Fixin Clos Moreau both from Louis Jadot. I fell heavily for the Meursault Perrieres ((£53 a bottle) and the Chassagne-Montrachet (£39) but...
12
NOV
I had three afternoon meetings at Oxford: ** with Tim Stevens at OURFC to finesse the Major Stanley's luncheon next week ** with the OURFC committee where I presented our plans for a rugby legacy for RWC2015 and finally  ** with Colin Smith from the OUBC where we had a quiet glass of wine in a rather tasty wine bar in South Parade called the Oxford Wine Cafe where we discussed the forthcoming boat races (2104/2015). 
10
NOV
You can register for Walking Home for Christmas at: www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com There will be a page in tomorrow's CityAM.  Help us raise money for Walking with the Wounded.  
10
NOV
Social Networking 42 4-10 November 2013 Monday PB @ Goya Tuesday Great Retail Revival presentations Bump James Hibbert Keata Murray John King CEO, House of Fraser Allan Winstanley House of Fraser Wednesday AQOTWF Thursday AQOTWF Friday Dallas Pounds@ Trinity Hospice Bump David Clarson Dr Richard Smith Great Retail Revival @ Waterloo Bump Keata Murray Robin Kadrnka James Hibbert Anthony Barry Ian Pearson & Heather Miles @ Pig's Ear,...
7
NOV
I was in at the beginning of the changes to the Child Support Agency in 1998. One million new cases were at the flick of a switch going to be added to one million current cases: all individual, all complex blah blah. So I turned to the mandarin holding the baby as it were and asked him whether the software had been designed. It hadn't. The CSA changes were held up for two further years causing massive heartache to two million families. Fast forward to the PAC's report on the Works &
7
NOV
Thank you for standing with Tibet. Boost this campaign now by sharing the email below and post this link to your facebook wall: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_tibet_loc/?tkFvVdb Thanks for all that you do, The Avaaz team -------------- Dear Friends, Tibetans who refuse to fly the Chinese flag above their homes risk being beaten or shot in the latest attempt to break their spirits. But now is the best moment in ages to bring hope to Tibet's proud, but desperate...
6
NOV
Social Networking 41 28 Oct - 3 Nov 2013 Monday Finance Committee @ Trinity H Bump David Clarson Katharine Jackson Dallas Pounds David Coggins Julia Robertson David Clarson Peter Gluckman Katharine Jackson Tuesday Bernie Frieder @ RAC Jonathan Price @ Thomas Cubitt Wednesday Geoff Bennett @ Pimlico Oliver Foster @ Pagefield Bump Mark Gallagher Thursday The Great Retail Revival (New Chair) James Hibbert, Dress2Kill Robin Kadrnka, BrandArkade Keata...
3
NOV
Yesterday, I took my children - Daisy and Jack - to Twickenham to watch the worst game I have seen for a long time. Australia were very poor and England frankly not much better. In the end, England stumbled to victory by 20-13. I am afraid the English coaching staff are not up to it; aside from one game last year v New Zealand the side has plateaux. We need a fitter, faster and more positive team if we are to progress in the RWC in 2015.
2
NOV
I was a guest of David Gay, Bath, Harlequins & England, at the annual Old Boys luncheon yesterday at the RAC  which attracted 200+ players and friends.  
2
NOV
I met Dudley Ankerson in Argentina in 1980 and we have been firm friends ever since. He worked in the FCO all his life and yesterday we met for a glass of wine. He gently dropped into the conversation that he'd been awarded a CMG for his work. I had missed it in the Queen's Birthday Honours and felt slightly embarrassed but nonetheless am thrilled he has been awarded it. He will receive it in December and then we are all going out for lunch.
2
NOV
I attended the Eighth P&I Conference in the Attlee Suite, Portcullis House on Thursday. In the end I was called on to chair a session.....and I stayed to hear the bake off between Ed Vaizey (Lazy Vaizey as he is known) and Ed Richards, CEO, Ofcom which the latter won by a landslide. www.parliamentandinternet.org.uk
website by Hudson Berkley Reinhart Ltd