South East-based Scot. Works in Energy. Likes reading up on things. History, Politics, Economics, Business. Non-tribal. RTs mean little. Tries to be nice
In 1943 William Foyle, founder of Foyles bookshop was enjoying a spot of sailing on the River Chelmer in Essex when he spotted this place, Beeleigh Abbey. He liked what he saw and bought the house and estate. Yesterday on a boiling hot day I rolled up there on my bike.
Thread.
It's strange that we have such arbitrary dating for the unofficial term "Prime Minister". Robert Walpole widely called the first, but why not Thomas Cromwell, John Dudley, William Cecil, Robert Cecil, and so on? They were all unofficially primus inter pares on the privy council.
In an era of widespead historical grievance and calls for long-retrospecive reparations it's good to see Scotland fans laughing off the Viking mass murder, enslavement and cultural annilation of the Picts in the ninth century
Top 4 areas for drawdowns from all-time highs
City of London: -40.05%
City of Aberdeen: -39.48%
City of Westminster: -33.49%
Kensington and Chelsea: -23.19%
When I was a kid, there were a couple of kids at school whose parents banned them from watching TV – any TV.
So, while I watched episodes of Horizon, The Computer Programme, Tomorrow’s World, The World at War, countless programmes about art and culture, and Top of the Pops and the Old Grey Whistle Test, … they didn’t.
I will always feel sorry for them for missing out. Because, they really missed out.
In the past week:
UK Defence Minister resigns
FCDO implements 25% cuts in UK-based staff
Russian-paid arsonists found guilty of targeting the Prime Minister
Russia escalates attacks on Kyiv.
@PJTheEconomist@rorysutherland Tax only non-residents to control price inflation. Locals should not be taxed when buying a home, especially their primary residence.
Delighted to be in the USA watching Scotland play Haiti tonight, honouring a promise I made to my youngest many years ago that if Scotland qualified we'd go together to see them play... and hopefully win.
“London is the land of make-believe power,” wrote John le Carré in 1993.
Since then, China has overtaken Britain economically and the chorus of declinism has only grown louder.
But Britain remains a nuclear power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a global intelligence leader, and one of the very few states able to project force worldwide.
Predictions of British decline have a long history. So too does Britain’s habit of confounding them.
My piece in the @spectator: