I’m sat in the sun with a foaming pint of ale in a handled, dimpled glass. And it’s bliss. A dozen or so metres away, people pass by, stepping onto or from the trains that make up our transport network. I’m at Lancaster Station on the West Coast Mainline and as I sit and reflect,Continue reading “Transience”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
A love affair, pure and simple
Like all love affairs, it must come to an end. At 11am on Sunday 27 February 2022, after three and a half years of mostly joy, the end did come. Marcelo Bielsa has been relieved of his duties as Leeds United manager. Some, like Adrian Pope at BBC Radio Leeds suggest it should never haveContinue reading “A love affair, pure and simple”
A lot more than OK – Oka, Carlisle review
Cumbria is an interesting place for food. It has more Michelin starred places to eat than any other county. It has some fantastic, cosy pubs – whether you fancy pub grub or something more fancy. But it isn’t necessarily that diverse. This make’s Oka’s arrival on the scene all the more welcome. It offers street-food-styleContinue reading “A lot more than OK – Oka, Carlisle review”
The eight things I learned at the IoIC Festival
A week ago, my colleagues and I were frantically planning how I was going to get to the Institute of Internal Communication’s first Festival. The event took place near Nottingham, and perhaps my first piece of learning was that this is not an easy place to get to on public transport from West Cumbria. AfterContinue reading “The eight things I learned at the IoIC Festival”
Finding a balance
Agile. Hybrid. Connected. Mixed. Whatever you call it, we’re all doing it – working from the office and from home. If you work in a sector like mine, then the move to home working when the pandemic hit might have been sudden and unfamiliar. This, of course, means that the move to agile working isContinue reading “Finding a balance“
Shaun W Keaveny
It’s a loss. Unquestionably. But that in itself is puzzling. People come in and out of our lives all the time. We move on. Shaun has been part of my life since 2009, when I first picked up a DAB radio from an Amazon flash sale. We’d not had DAB for long up here inContinue reading “Shaun W Keaveny”
Returning to the workplace
If my maths is right, it’s 490 days since I last spent a whole day in the office. That is, working at a desk (or workstation as we now call them), having meetings with colleagues and nipping to the canteen or into town for lunch. Like everyone else, little did I know, as I madeContinue reading “Returning to the workplace”
Getting a buzz from the bus station
My memories of Whitehaven bus station aren’t of the halcyon days. By the time I came to use it, it was for Saturday visits to spend my pocket money in the town centre (pick and mix and singles from Woolworths, and stationery from WH Smiths, for the record). At this point, it was pretty runContinue reading “Getting a buzz from the bus station”
Celebrating success
I passionately believe that your workforce is your most important audience. If you’re planning a project, or are managing an issue, employees should be the first group listed in the audience section of your comms plan. Your employees can be your most powerful advocates. They can also be your fiercest critics. It might seem obvious,Continue reading “Celebrating success”
One year of this – whatever this is
I imagine there will be a whole gang of people dusting off their typewriters, as we mark the first anniversary of the Covid-19 lives we lead. Recording our thoughts, particularly of such an abnormal year, feels important. A year ago today, I started working from home. A pregnant partner meant I was a taking noContinue reading “One year of this – whatever this is”
The only man in the room 