My Dad died ten years ago today. As the eldest of his four sons, it fell upon me to give the eulogy at his funeral – the hardest job I have ever done.
You are unlikely to have interest in my father as a person but there are two facets of his character, and his life, which you might care to consider.
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Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to meet George Galloway. In fact, given the opportunity, I would rather not. I have a personal rule to avoid meeting celebrities. In general, I have found them more willing to talk to other celebrities than ‘normal’ people so what is the point?
By his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, we can be safe in describing George Galloway as a ‘celebrity’. As to whether appearing on this show was a wise decision, or whether he made a prat of himself when he did, these are matters for us to judge on a personal basis.
They are certainly not views we should publish. It is on the record that George Galloway has litigated for libel on more than one occasion and we do not want that. All I can do is point you to Google and YouTube to make up your mind on a cornucopia of subjects as far apart as Iraq, the Tiananmen Square massacre or pretending to be a pussy cat.
The Daily Mail asserts that ‘Galloway’s victory is the last thing Britain needs’. I disagree with this. I think George Galloway is just what we need. Continue reading
First published 12 March as guest on US ‘Switch and Shift – Future of Leadership‘ series:
As you may know, this year, to honour Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, the rest of the world has generously invited us to host the Olympic Games in London. On behalf of my Queen and I, I would like to thank you all.
Diamond Jubilee? If you did not know, that is sixty years on the throne. Or, as she may see it, sixty years of hard work. By any definition, that is a long career.
For the whole of this time, The Queen has lived by her mother’s well-worn mantra: ‘Never complain. Never explain.’ Continue reading
First published on 27 Feb as a guest on US ‘Switch and Shift – Future of Leadership‘ series:
Thirty years ago, I first met Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Records. His reputation was reclusive, perhaps even aloof. People knew about him, but they didn’t know about him if you follow.
I had directions on how to find his houseboat moored on a canal behind some trees in North London. It was a cold, still day as the partly hidden old gate creaked open onto the toe-path. I found the houseboat. I looked through the window. A pretty young lady was feeding a baby, holding it gently to her breast. Young as I was, I had never seen this before. She looked up, smiled and pointed to a rickety ladder and upwards.
Branson was sitting behind an equally rickety table, wearing a thick white jersey, with his arms crossed across his chest. He rocked slowly back and forth as he looked up and smiled. In front of him on the table was a large sheet of paper covered in scribbles and squiggles. Continue reading
It does get lonely, this blogging business.
My career has been in the much more collaborative world of marketing and advertising, where I am used to researching opinion, sharing knowledge, knocking around ideas, listening to other people’s thoughts and making innovative judgements based on the team view.
The over-arching theme of all my posts is that the talent and creativity in marketing and advertising could be better used for the benefit of society as a whole, rather than restricted to gorillas selling chocolate and meerkats insurance. Continue reading
In June last year, I posted an insight to solve the NHS problem which, given the cost of the NHS is forecast to increase from £130bn in 2015 to £260bn in 2030, is a big one.
At the time, David Cameron had stepped in and put the Bill on ‘pause’.
This must have been a bore to Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, who had dreamt up a Bill without, it seems, due research or consultation with the medical profession. Continue reading
First posted on Huffington Post on 15 Feb 2012
Two days. Two media channels. Two writers.
Alain de Botton is an eminent philosopher who has written ‘How Proust Can Change Your Life’, ‘The Consolations of Philosophy’ and ‘The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work’. Last week, he tweeted: ‘What used to happen to outrage before the net gave it a home?’
Charles Vallance is the V, some say the brains, of VCCP – anointed last week as ‘the most ‘in-demand’ shop’ (viz advertising agency) in London. Last week, he published a column in Campaign magazine headed: ‘The web is stifling radicalism at a time when it is needed.’
Two clever geezers. What are they on about? Continue reading
First published on Brand Republic on 1 February 2012
Yes, yes, yes! At last! The day has arrived. In the long history of the Internet, I can only post this blog on this one day. Yes, today. 1 February 2012.
‘One-two. One-two’. ‘One-two. One-two’. That’s it. Today. 1.2.12. ‘One-two. One-two’. ‘One-two. One-two’.
I don’t know about today’s generation, but what a resonant phrase for mine. ‘One-two. One-two’. ‘One-two. One-two’. Rock and roll!
The audience is buzzing. The lights are down. The stage in gloom. Out of the darkness, a guitar note twangs. A drum rolls. ‘One-two. One-two’. ‘One-two. One-two’. The roadie tests the mic. Or should that be the ‘mike’? Certainly not the mick.
The audience applaud, whistle, cheer. Backstage, the band loosen up and draw that final drag. ‘One-two. One-two’. ‘One-two. One-two’.
Louder now, and more excited, the audience noise builds in anticipation. Excitement. Expectancy. ‘One-two. One-two’. ‘One-two. One-two’. Continue reading
‘Form is temporary. Class is permanent.’ This saying, heard most often in my life in a cricketing context, came to mind today as I was helping to judge the BMS Seasonal Book Marketing Awards (a much more modest event than today’s Costa Book Awards, won by Andrew Miller’s novel ‘Pure‘).
One BMS entrant was the campaign celebrating the centenary of the birth of William Golding and, inevitably, his seminal novel ‘Lord of the Flies‘. I know not everyone likes the book but that black-and-white film and its mantra ‘Kill the Pig, Kill the Pig’ haunted me throughout my lonely, scary boarding school childhood.
The marketing idea was to invite children to design a new cover for the book. But the real delight was the opportunity to look back at the beautifully designed and wonderfully crafted covers that have graced ‘Lord of the Flies’ since it was published in 1954.
There can be no greater conjugation of literature and art than these. Continue reading
I cannot believe our politicians have only just realised that the ‘Role of Government’ in a capitalist society is the most fundamental problem they need to resolve.
It shows an extraordinary lack of leadership and vision.
I can say this, rather immodestly, because it is exactly what I told them over four years ago – long before the last General Election. Here’s my story…. Continue reading
