Yearly Archives: 2020

Good things from 2020

We are nearly there, the end of 2020… hooray. It was a challenging year for sure. It is now nearly the New Year and undoubtedly the time to be more optimistic, despite the news. So as we leave the year … Continue reading

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A very merry digital virtual Christmas

Friday was of course Christmas Day in the UK. With some of us plunged into the purgatory of lockdown, before or after, it felt different this year… dare I admit, actually a little less stressful, less rushing about and more … Continue reading

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Last Christmas… the very next day it was taken away!

Well, the festive spirit (the one I have been trying to find) seemed to evaporate this weekend with the announcement of new sudden restrictions for the holidays. Christmas has been cancelled in our house. With New Year already banned it … Continue reading

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Driving home over Christmas – the need for positive customer outcomes

We are on the last lap, the final straight, with the finishing line now in sight for the end of the working year. The holidays are almost upon us and most of us are just exhausted from what has been … Continue reading

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Ho Ho Holidays… almost

This Christmas season is certainly shaping up to be unusual. Mine has so far been less singing carols and sipping hot chocolate, more eating mince pies and watching box sets on TV. Still, we have a week or so to … Continue reading

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Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards*

Most of this year we have of course been focused on the COVID pandemic, its impact on the economy. We are out of full lockdown and settling into the latest set of restrictions. Over the last week, not much has … Continue reading

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Out of sight, out of mind…the boxes that need a home

Chatting with a neighbour this weekend, we both commented on how this year feels to have passed so quickly. At times it has felt slow, but looking back the year now seems to have flown by. I think it is … Continue reading

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It’s cold outside… time to create some atmosphere

We are inching towards Christmas and with the shops now open, nights drawing in it is starting to feel like winter… it even tried to snow this week. Of course, this is year like no other, and with the pandemic, … Continue reading

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Help I don’t speak cat…

Last week felt like a long week… much of it has to do with a lack of variety in the day I think, which has been an issue during lockdowns… the odd trip to the office here, a visit to … Continue reading

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Is the future already here…?

We are all now getting very used to being on video and video calls. In conversation this week the topic came up and discussion turned to how we used to see people on video calls on TV before but it … Continue reading

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Back to the Future – new beginnings?

The good news this week, COVID cases seemed to start to moderate here. The new restrictions have been in place for a while now and it looks like we will hear more about next steps this week… so fingers crossed … Continue reading

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(Good News)2 on vaccine development

There has been plenty of good news the last few weeks regarding progress with COVID vaccine development. Early signs are promising, with big pharma massively starting to scale production and countries readying for delivery of vaccines to their population. All … Continue reading

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Lockdown roadworks…!

Another lockdown week, another weekend, and that cooped up inside feeling is starting to return again. This lockdown period seems harder than the first somehow… even though the restrictions are less… there is something psychological going on it feels… the … Continue reading

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Remote working or not?

This week there was some debate about remote working and whether this is here to stay. There are after all huge benefits in being able to hire the best candidate without worrying about geographic restrictions, not to mention saving the … Continue reading

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Falling back into lockdown routine

It was hard to keep up last week, there was so much going on news-wise… lockdown 2.0 in England, red zones in Italy, and escalating cases in France, also under a national lockdown… mind you all of this seemed to … Continue reading

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Kicking the can down the road?

Quite a busy week this week, what with lockdown restarting in England, and new tough restrictions in many other European countries, France, Italy and Belgium to mention a few. A second wave is really upon us now. The UK government … Continue reading

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Lockdown II: The Holiday Special…!

Slowly this month, across Europe, we have been reentering a new period of lockdown… France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Ireland and more all have new restrictions… whilst closer to home… Wales, Scotland, NI and last night (yes on Halloween) England … Continue reading

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Another week, another lockdown..!

This Saturday (Halloween of all days) it was announced that England would enter another lockdown for November… scary stuff… with cases rising and lockdown already in place elsewhere in the UK, for many this had felt inevitable, but here we … Continue reading

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Driving through lockdown

The clocks went back this weekend, so woke up an hour earlier this morning (it felt), and darkness certainly descended an hour earlier tonight… time to put the fire on and a cup of cocoa I think…! Still, the observations … Continue reading

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Fake commutes and twinkies

A few things caught my eye this week as we all wrestled with the fact that it is looking like lockdown will continue and we enter a second wave. First, was the changing nature of work, and how it seems … Continue reading

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Good morning – Mr Grumpy

It was all Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, in the news here this week and lockdown restrictions are all starting to get a little confusing, to be honest. This being said with cases and hospital admissions now increasing, we … Continue reading

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Back to online at home working

After the flurry of big announcments last week, this week felt quiet in comparison. All eyes are now back on lockdown… with increased COVID cases, the new Tier 2/3 areas rolling out across England, together with enhanced restrictions in Wales, … Continue reading

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Week 30: Does time speed up when less happens?

A new full lockdown really seemed to be impending this weekend… what with cases rising and regional restrictions already in place. However it is also thanksgiving this weekend in Canada, a good reminder to be more thankful for what we … Continue reading

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Regulatory changes coming through

Some fairly significant news developments this last week, at least for the financial services industry. First off there was the announcement that letters used for the collection of debt, now needed to be in clear English, signpost free debt advice, … Continue reading

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Week 29: Having things to look forward to…

With a very wet and rainy weekend, it has started to feel as if autumn has really started to settle in. Observations for this week I have been finding plucky rogue courgettes in the garden the last few weeks, but … Continue reading

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Wait and see

If I was to describe this last week it would be filed under the theme of digital treatment and preparedness. It feels the world is now planning for a crash in October, with associated surge in delinquency volume… albeit with … Continue reading

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Week 28: Meeting new expectations

This last week was a whirlwind, and obviously with various economic support and lockdown changes announced last week things are going to change again… and soon. Still, these are the observations for the week. Nearly everyone I spoke to last … Continue reading

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New measures announced

Weekly roundup: 24 Sept 2020 This week we saw the latest numbers update on the CBILS and BBLS financial support schemes. It now totals over £53bn in financial support. With the schemes running down, thoughts are now turning to what … Continue reading

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Week 27: The plugged in cyborg

What seemed like a quiet end of last week appears to have taken quite a turn over the weekend with rumors of a centralised approach for COVID payment holiday collection, what sounds like some AML control issues and more talk … Continue reading

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More data coming through

Weekly roundup: 18 Sept 2020 This week we have been talking quite a bit around digital processing and how this can help with the expected wave of economic stress. The accepted timeframe for this is still around October, and not … Continue reading

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Week 26: Falling into a normal routine

Traffic jams are starting, with people clearly outside and in the office last week. It was quite a full week, and like many people, was glad for the weekend, and some warmer weather. The last hurrah before autumn maybe? Observations … Continue reading

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Economic impacts continue to ripen

Weekly roundup: 11 Sept 2020 More details continued to emerge this week to illustrate the economic pressure, that is underway and growing across the economy. Many consumers appear to have gone into money-saving mode over lockdown – 3.6m are worried … Continue reading

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Week 25: Back to school again

A return to school this week was also a return again to getting up early… it was all a bit of a blur – it felt early. However it did mark a step towards more normality so I hope is … Continue reading

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A tale of two halves: Weekly roundup 4 September 2020

Gradually over the last few weeks, there has been a gradual return to school and with Labour day in N. America this weekend, the summer will be ‘officially’ over….. this really is another milestone in the return to ‘normal rules’ … Continue reading

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Week 24: Outdoor – Indoor Eating

It’s a long weekend here, so an extra day off. Things really do seem quite normal again, certainly with the traffic. Thoughts for this week. Video call etiquette. This is sending me into a spin… on or off?… There are … Continue reading

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Almost crunch time: Weekly roundup 28 August 2020

A quieter week this week news-wise, with the main highlight being revised guidelines on payment holiday continuation for customers with mortgages. Those in need can continue to get relief, but at this point, it will start to be reflected on … Continue reading

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Week 23: A new lick of paint

This week you could feel summer winding down with many people starting to drift back from the last of their holidays. Just another week and with a revving of engines everything will be back to full strength… Observations for the … Continue reading

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Stresses starting to show: weekly roundup 21 August 2020

This was a week when it felt the economic stresses of lockdown really seemed to starting to show and were reported more widely. All of this still seems to be building towards some sort of crunch point at the end … Continue reading

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Week 22: Rain and Shine

The hot weather broke this week and somehow working inside seemed easier, looking at the rain rather the sweltering days earlier in the week… the observations this week. Lots of us have been growing vegetables during lockdown, myself included… I … Continue reading

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Weekly Roundup 14 August 2020

Economic news took centre stage this week it seemed… The UK has reportedly plunged into the deepest recession on record shrinking 20%. This is more than our peers in Europe and already impacting jobs, with redundancies up 5 fold from … Continue reading

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Week 21: The return of the office

Back in the swing of things this week after a brief break. Caught up with quite a few people together with, of course, a large email inbox. So have been in a reflective mood… the thought for the week… the … Continue reading

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End of lockdown support measures?: Weekly roundup 7 August 2020

This week it felt like the wheels were turning to end many of the support measures in place during lockdown. The FCA had a consultation paper out on whether the payment deferral period and measures should be extended. There is … Continue reading

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Week 20: End of Staycation

The weather held, which really has been great news for all of us taking staycations… even when WFH, with the shorter commute, it has been easier to make more of the weather, which has been a real advantage too… observations … Continue reading

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Start of August: Weekly roundup 31 July 2020

This week continued to feel a quieter week and being the last week of July, the news cycle slowed somewhat. Here are the key stories this week. It has been reporting week for the banks and most have posted significant … Continue reading

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Week 19 lockdown: Taking a break

It was a little different this week with the first week of summer vacation and some really nice weather in the UK… good thing is I have been able to get out and about a little more… some observations for … Continue reading

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Time to relax a little?: Weekly Roundup 24th July 2020

This week has undoubtedly been a quieter week with a little time off work. However the news cycle continues with the main news (outside of politics) still being economic projections on the impact of lockdown. Mortgage, credit card and loan … Continue reading

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Week 18 lockdown: Touching normality

The summer holidays here, restrictions are easing (for now) and there was a sense of making up for lost time this week… a sense of normality is returning… holiday trips being booked, days out with friends and at work investment … Continue reading

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Dog days of 2020: Weekly Roundup 17 July 2020

A bit of a different tack this week. With all the focus on COVID19 and the lockdown, it has been easy to forget about the other topic…. Brexit. Most of us are tired of the issue and have been quite … Continue reading

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Week 17 lockdown: Greenshoots or just not ripe enough to tell yet?

With lockdown easing, it feels we are all seemingly trying to return to normal (with even a £30bn package to help us do so). Hotels, B&B’s, and holiday accommodation are starting to open and bookings have gone through the roof. … Continue reading

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Insulating the economy?: Weekly Roundup 10 July 2020

A key theme for me this week has been the announcement of more financial assistance to get people back to work. In the UK chancellor’s summer statement £30bn of measures were announced; from VAT relief for the hospitality industry, a … Continue reading

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Week 16 lockdown: Starting to glimpse the future?

Lockdown really started to relax this week, with traffic jams to the coast, pubs open, and even getting your haircut. As it relaxes, is a little glimpse of our future normal now being seen? Observations for this week. Watching how … Continue reading

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Get your haircut, down the pub: Weekly Roundup 4 July 2020

The big news this week(end) is of course that we can now all get a haircut and head out to the pub. With haircuts starting at midnight and the pubs open from 6am (yes 6am!), it certainly looks like a … Continue reading

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Week 15 lockdown: Lockdown forgotten?

This week we had some great summer weather, the beaches were packed and it was announced the bars/pubs will open; the daily COVID press briefing has now been cancelled and even Joe Wicks’ daily PE workout has scaled back… no … Continue reading

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Too relaxed, too quickly?: Weekly Roundup 26 June 2020

The relaxation of lockdown has continued globally, and in the UK with hot summer weather this week, it has appeared to prompt a mass migration to the beach. There were so many people in some locations a major incident was … Continue reading

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Week 14 lockdown: Activity ramping up

This week was busy, plenty to do at work. For most people, those I speak to, activity does seem to be ramping up…. indeed frenetic in some areas… I just hope these are green shoots (a micro-indicator) for a wider … Continue reading

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More payment extensions: Weekly Roundup – June 19 2020

Right at the end of the week, just like last time, the government announced the intention to further extend the payment deferral scheme for credit cards, store cards, and loans. All of this is with no impact on a customer’s … Continue reading

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Week 13 lockdown: Getting outside

This week, with the nice weather and relaxation of restrictions I have been able to get out a little more… and judging by the increased traffic noise so have most people. This has been a welcome relief from the last … Continue reading

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Economic impact starts to bite: Weekly Roundup – June 12 2020

The main story this week has been more economic news, and not so great really. The UK economy has shrunk by 20%. It’s the biggest contraction ever, making for some stunning graphs. This one here showing the depth of the … Continue reading

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Week 12 lockdown: Slowly does it

Lockdown continues to slowly ease in the UK, it is increasingly hard to remember when out… Queue lines are closer and everything feels very laissez-faire. Tensions abound, however, with demonstrations in the UK and around the world. A cause which … Continue reading

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FCA guidance, spending and sleeping less: Weekly Roundup – June 5 2020:

It feels like the developments each week are gradually starting to slow for now. Updates for this week. The FCA released its updated guidance on the mortgage holiday scheme extension. There is definitely a direction towards the greater use of … Continue reading

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Week 11 lockdown: Exit or not?

Another interesting week and it does feel like we have all forgotten lockdown even existed. Maybe it is the weather, maybe we are just used to it, but there is a sense that everything feels more normal than maybe it … Continue reading

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Exit? what Exit?: Weekly Roundup – May 30 2020:

Conversations this week have continued to centre around exit planning. Although volumes of customers in arrears continue to be down, largely thanks to the government payment holidays, with over 1.5m payment holidays on cards and loan, and nearly 11m people … Continue reading

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Week 10 of lockdown: Where next…?

The psychological relaxation of restrictions seems to continue apace with traffic on the roads and beaches full, but the question top of mind this week is where next now… the observations for this week. The volume of internet memes definitely … Continue reading

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May 22 2020: Weekly roundup

The big story at the end of this week was undoubtedly the decision by the UK bank regulator, the FCA, to extend the mortgage payment holiday period out by a further three months to the end of October. This of … Continue reading

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Week 9 of lockdown: Out and about… a little more

It seemed like this last week the world decided enough is enough and we are all ready to get back to normal… restrictions were being lifted and it felt like the lockdown pressure went down somewhat at home and work… … Continue reading

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May 16 2020: Weekly roundup

It feels like there has been less going on this week, maybe it was just the aftermath of the various announcements easing restrictions or just in comparison with previous weeks, but it did feel like there was less happening. Certainly, … Continue reading

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Week 8 of lockdown: Waiting for normal

With some nice weather* have been feeling the need to get out and do stuff this week…. the risk is still there of course, not much has changed, but this is going to get harder in the summer for sure. … Continue reading

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May 8 2020: Weekly roundup

This week was dominated by the economic reality of the lockdown now really starting to be seen. The Bank of England predicting this could be one of the longest slumps for over 300 years. Elsewhere the impact on business services … Continue reading

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Week 7 of lockdown: Getting used to remote working

It is now the start of week 7 and it feels like we are getting used to remote working. It is no longer new, we understand how it works now and feels that some of the more dynamics are starting … Continue reading

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May 1 2020: Weekly roundup

The lockdown appears to be changing in character this week. Certainly, there is some Zoom fatigue, however, it also seems people are starting to increasingly break restrictions too. The monthly total death statistics were out this week. These cut through … Continue reading

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Week 6 of lockdown: getting bored…

Observations from this week Any novelty of being stuck in lockdown is certainly now starting to wear off. An urge to get out and do something is definitely increasing…. nothing has really changed mind you… just more normalised… there is … Continue reading

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April 25, 2020: Weekly roundup

Some of the interesting stories, news and reflections from the week. Little old now, but DWP reporting 10x typical call volume and this was on top of the impacts we already saw in the financial and banking sector too. There … Continue reading

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Lockdown week 5: End of week 4 & starting to feel normalised.

Observations from last week. The initial reaction and shock from the first few weeks seems to have faded somewhat, and saw some more normal BAU activity recommence… however, still expecting to see more economic impacts feeding through this week Working … Continue reading

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Lockdown week 4

Week four of UK lockdown and things are starting to feel somewhat surreal. A beautiful sunny weekend, yet not allowed to be out… everything seemingly quiet, yet grim news on TV. Still, it is important we continue and it is … Continue reading

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April 10, 2020: Weekly roundup

Another busy week this week for most folks and it feels like the frenetic pace of the last few weeks has not let up…. this is the roundup for the week. Most people thankfully seem to be now either working … Continue reading

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Lockdown week 3: Another week in ‘lockdown’

Another interesting week of experience under the ‘official’ lockdown in the UK. This last week seemed more normal or at least routine… albeit long. It was a welcome respite from the dramatic changes the week before. However there were of … Continue reading

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Lockdown week 2: End of the first week in lockdown

The UK has been in ‘official’ lock down this week due to Coronavirus. As with all new experiences you learn new things about yourself, the people and processes around you…. especially early on. Here are my observations from the first … Continue reading

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Coronavirus: Short term thinking still needed

This week I have been listening and discussing some of the longer-term economic impacts of coronavirus. We have already started to see the impact on growth and it will likely decline further. A projection of contraction this year with a … Continue reading

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): What impact will we see on collections?

The recent worldwide spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), now confirmed as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), has affected numerous aspects of our lives, everyday hygiene, travel, social gatherings and perhaps most significantly here, the workplace. What will the … Continue reading

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#Coronavirus..ready and prepared… now… really?

Coronavirus is sadly still in the news this week, with a big leap in infections to 25,000 (globally) and a spread to two additional cities in the region. The world and certainly the media seem to be on alert. Mercifully, … Continue reading

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