29 Jul 2025

Nearly half a bicycle

The atomic theory in Kilburn — This place (on Kilburn High Road) has been morphing steadily from dry cleaner’s to bike shop over the last few years. I remember being surprised one morning to see a few kids’ bikes lined up for sale outside but I’d say the shop is now approaching 50% bike shop. […]

13 Jan 2025

Where is my patriotism?

Come, love of country, fill my heart… — I do love Britain. I guess I love England more. London most of all. I hope that in my life I’ve honoured the place I live and not disgraced it or undermined it (I support England and GB in sporting events – I fly a little flag […]

6 Sep 2024

Some bullet-points about regulation

In case you’d got the wrong idea about how the ’regulatory state‘ is supposed to work — UPDATED 23 May 2025. I could update this thing daily. Regulation is always a news story in the UK (Search any news service for ‘regulation‘ right now and you’ll get a long list of current news stories about […]


  • Let’s hear it for 40-ish blokes

    My wife is always telling me that our generation is now in charge. Although I seldom, these days, feel very in charge (I’m doing my best, though. Me: “yes. It…

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  • New year’s resolution: unload that big pile of review copies

    Here’s a list of geeky books I’ve currently got for sale over at amazon.co.uk. Go on. Buy some. They’re all brand new and every single one is cheaper than you’ll…

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  • Congratulations, scumbags

    Today, for the first time, I deleted over 1,000 spam comments from this weblog (about 1,200 in the last 24 hours, in fact). I am now officially overwhelmed (and so…

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  • Tsunami fund raisers should accept Paypal

    I’ve been looking around for an agency accepting Paypal donations towards the various Tsunami appeals. I suspect there’s millions locked up in Paypal balances that could be made useful if…

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  • Overcoming donor fatigue

    On the Today Programme the other day Bill Clinton suggested, even before the magnitude of the Asian disaster became clear, that the big donor Nations should divide up the affected…

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  • Stick this lot in your iPod

    A jewel of a programme about Blake’s Jerusalem from Tom Paulin (probably overwritten by next week’s show by now – drop me a line if you want an MP3) and…

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  • Your tax dollar in action…

    I’ve been meaning to blog this for ages but I just haven’t been able to form the words in my head. Why? Anyway, I’ve been helping a sort of loose…

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  • Honourable Fiend

    Still guestblogging over there for the time being, in case you’re interested. Latest entry is about Michael Howard and ID cards.

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  • Fixing pensions

    Pensions are important and will be for a long time (how about the indefinite future? Or at least until you can get uploading on the National Health). I find myself…

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  • Trying to keep it together…

    I give you a snapshot of the pre-Xmas domestic disarray round here. I’m feeding the kids Friday evening and notice that the pretty little red plate that I’ve given to…

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  • Disney and Winnie-the-Pooh

    Have you ever visited the Hundred Acre Wood? You can, you know. It’s a real place, hidden in the Home Counties and quite recognisably Pooh’s domain. All the landmarks are…

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  • Back in ten minutes…

    I’m having fun guestblogging over there at the moment. Azeem tells me that Hon. Fiend is doing very well, even while its editor suns himself in Brazil. Blanket Blunkett is…

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