Mark Heller

Senior lecturer in Actuarial Science and part-time musician

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@GoodwinMJ As an academic, you should be embarrassed peddling such nonsense.

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@BlobelPonge @PeterStefanovi2 But absolute freedom for all is impossible since one person's absolute freedom restricts another's.

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@bluekitten74 @SoVeryBritish This! 👍🏻

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@benjyminty @chunkyboyjames @FeedTheSpud Used one last week and it gave me the same seat reservation for both parts of the split journey 👍🏻

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@bward_82 @BlasingJay @SteveGarver3 @LucasSa56947288 And he won't be able to provide a shred of credible evidence

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@fopminui @johnrobertsFox 🙏🏻

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@hellothisisivan @afneil @OldRoberts953 Also, I'm no marketing expert, but shouldn't a slogan like this express something positive, not a negative?

[Roger Federer @rogerfederer]

Vamos, @RafaelNadal!

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.

Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.

I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you.

And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more. 

OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype.

We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud.

I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.

I’m still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didn’t want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies. They had a blast and learned so much—like thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.

And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.

Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.

Rafa that!

Best always, your fan, 

Roger

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@peterrhague @RoryStewartUK @RestIsPolitics By spicy, you mean racist.

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@DudaSub @teatiateia @Brettbenraphael @MrAndyNgo Very interested in how you define/determine 'native to the UK'?

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@danielkempe @zoeharcombe No exhaust emissions, but emissions from tyres and brakes remain

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

The most depressing thing I've read in a long time:

Between 2010 and 2019, almost 800 libraries closed...the UK now has more food banks than public libraries.

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@Flattliner What a tasteless and thoughtless comment

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@CamillaTominey Sheer fantasy...

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@ZeeCaptainRon @jordanbpeterson @UN A relatively low proportion does not mean there is no impact - for example it takes around 200 PPM of hydrogen cyanide to kill someone

[HUMAN WA$TE @Dplanet]

Absolutely, the hard work of your ancestors in mills, factories, mines, and the military has been crucial to Britain’s development. Their contributions are a vital part of the country’s history and should be honoured and remembered. At the same time, it’s also important to recognise that Britain’s history has been shaped by a diverse array of people.

Diversity in Britain isn't just about recent times; it spans centuries. From Roman times through to the contributions of soldiers from across the Commonwealth in both World Wars, and the Windrush generation who came to Britain in the post-war period to help rebuild the country, many different groups have played integral roles. Each wave of newcomers has brought with them skills, cultures, and innovations that have enriched British society economically, culturally, and socially.

Acknowledging the contributions of all these groups doesn't diminish the hard work of your ancestors. Instead, it provides a fuller picture of history and recognises the collective efforts of many different people who together have helped build the modern nation.

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@Dplanet @geedeeaitch Brilliantly put, thank you

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@bea_johanssen @Simon_Nixon Very true, thought the end date was more recent, should have checked more carefully!

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@bea_johanssen @Simon_Nixon This is perhaps a more relevant set of data with regard to Brexit

[Mark Heller @MarkoMark13]

@kirkberzerk @Simon_Nixon An alternative perspective...