Apparently, yesterday (Saturday) was ‘Panic Saturday’. This is a term coined by retail researchers and refers to the last Saturday before Christmas. On this day it was expected that some £1.2bn would be spent. The Centre for Retail Research thought that around 13m consumers would each spend £92 per minute on gifts and groceries. The …
Teach Your Children
This is the title of a song written by Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills & Nash fame. It encourages communication, love and understanding between the generations. I thought it was particularly poignant given the news this week that hospital admissions for young people aged 10-14 who have self-harmed have risen alarmingly in the last few …
Advent
The word “advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” meaning “arrival” or “coming,” particularly of something having great importance. It is a season in the church calendar which begins in the Western church on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. It is a time of spiritual preparation in which Christians look forward to the coming of …
Advertising Christmas
How should companies advertise their wares? There has been a lot of noise in the news and on social media in the last few days concerning two adverts in particular. The John Lewis advert is a cute story about a pet penguin who yearns for true love. Sainsburys however have opted for scenes from the …
“I bet it’s going to rain by 3 o’clock”
Odd title for a Thought for the Week you may think, but it’s exactly what I heard someone say earlier this week. It was mild and fairly sunny as we all arrived at work. We had been talking about how much fine weather we have had in this country during the summer and also more …
An Extra Hour
The clocks went back this morning. This practice of daylight saving began during the First World War in Germany and Austria-Hungary to conserve fuel supplies during the summer months, though it had been first suggested back in 1895. Winding back the clock doesn’t mean winding back time. There will be many people reading this who …
T-shirts
I saw someone this week in the local shopping centre with this printed on his T-shirt: ‘Give me a moment and I’ll try to look interested!’ All very tongue-in-cheek I’m sure, but it started me thinking about whether this person was really disinterested in anyone who might want to talk to him. It’s very likely …
Falling Off A Ladder – part 2
I’ve been thinking a bit more about my ladder experience of a couple of weeks ago. Believe me if you’ve fallen off a ladder it really does play on your mind as well as your bruises! I said at the time that I had been complacent with my own safety. There was an assumption on …
Falling Off A Ladder
I think it’s fairly safe to say that falling off a ladder is not a good idea, yet it’s something I did last Sunday. I was too complacent about health and safety, and the feet of the ladder slipped away on a wooden floor so down I came. The only injuries I sustained were some …
Being with a Person
I’m writing this in a hotel room in Germany. I’m away on business, but only for a couple of nights. It’s surprising how long a couple of nights can seem though, if you are away from the person you love. Sure, we can text, phone, even Skype, but it’s not the same as actually being …