Yearly Archives: 2022

In this period between Christmas and New Year, it is always interesting, albeit maybe a little self-indulgent but ’tis the season, to look a little in the rearview mirror over the year that was. So here are some of the … Continue reading →

Last week I descended into the rabbit hole of Generative AI, with ChatGPT. It really is very compelling and impressive. Need an essay on predictive dialling… no problem… how about an article on why predictive dialling is being replaced by … Continue reading →

With the nights drawing in a new TV season is upon us. There have been some great new series released; The Crown, Andor and of course, the finale of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here (don’t ask… ). … Continue reading →

Last week was the Credit Connect Think Tank, now live again in Manchester. It is always great to be at these events and is especially refreshing when there are new topics to cover. This year was no different and being … Continue reading →

I have always been a bit of a news fiend. Originally with extensive periodical/magazine subscriptions, I then started reading news online particularly via RSS feeds. I then had to mourn their loss as these were largely culled in favour of … Continue reading →

I have recently developed a fondness for Tunnocks Caramel Wafers. Apparently, over 7,000,000 are eaten every week, which is 1 millionth eaten in my household alone… best with a cup of tea btw Until now I have been purchasing these … Continue reading →

If you look closely, you can see the economy changing before our eyes. This Friday I was out for a drink at my local. It is not a frequent event these days, but still nice to get out every so … Continue reading →

I had a very enjoyable trip to Newcastle last week and posted a photo of the train station on LinkedIn to indicate my pleasure in being in the city. Somewhat to my surprise, it garnered more views than many of … Continue reading →

This week the political situation in the UK got so surreal, at one point it seemed all I needed for entertainment was the Financial Times and Newsnight, giving up watching the rest of TV for entertainment (let alone Eastenders). It … Continue reading →

I was in Tesco to pick up a few things this Sunday and in the middle of picking some snacks for later, my attention was drawn to a hubbub at the end of the aisle. Lots of people, all waiting, … Continue reading →

News this week has of course been dominated by the Queen, sadly passing away, now succeeded by King Charles. My first thoughts were, of course with the family, it is no doubt a difficult time for them.My second thought was … Continue reading →

This weekend is a key milestone for many of us… yes next week (in many places at least) it’s the Labour day weekend and the following week back to school. It’s a sure sign of the end of summer, quieter … Continue reading →

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) was a hot topic of a couple of conversations last week. Over the last couple of years, it has been an area of significant growth, and one that recently has had a lot of media … Continue reading →

With the weather now greatly improved, I was reminded this week of the seemingly long summers of my youth, during the last weeks of term. I remember looking longingly out of the window at the time, a blue sky and … Continue reading →

Last weekend was of course the Platinum Jubilee in the UK. For those of you not here, there were lots of festivities, sausage rolls, and cake, but amongst this wave of activity, there was also something else rather nice going … Continue reading →

I had an interesting discussion this week on the role of criticism. Most of us accept that some criticism is part of life. After all a bit of constructive criticism, and making a few mistakes, allows us to be better … Continue reading →

This week I was lucky enough to attend the SmithNovak NPL Europe conference in London. It was an interesting day of discussion through the debt purchase and servicing processes. The industry, which after what seemed to be seeing a slow … Continue reading →

Another long weekend this week – in the UK, through April and May, the public holidays just seem to keep coming. This time of year is great, the days are warming up, evenings are getting longer and a few days … Continue reading →

This last week was again a short week, and being an extension of Easter it involved a short trip to London to see Hamilton, the musical, which together with my trip to the ABBA museum in the prior week, has … Continue reading →

This week the number of people with COVID in the UK seems to have exploded. About 5m, or 1 in 13, apparently have active COVID cases. It does seem as if everyone knows someone under the weather. With so many … Continue reading →

It seems like lots of people have come down with COVID this week, probably more than I have noticed before. Maybe this was, just my psychological bias, mind you, as I also came up double red on the Lateral Flow … Continue reading →

One of the many benefits of attending talks, and conferences I realized this week, is the connections they make. Discussions, sometimes in completely different areas, can magically join up to spark new ideas and insights. Sometimes in unexpected ways. Conference … Continue reading →

With the war in Ukraine still ongoing, sanctions have continued to increase over the last week, all to try to stop the fighting. There are designed to be hard-hitting for Russia, however, none of this of course is without consequence … Continue reading →

I don’t know about everyone else, but I have had trouble sleeping recently. Ever since Thursday I have been horrified by the events unfolding in Ukraine. How can this happen, these days and change just so quickly? What is happing … Continue reading →

Pets do seem to be playing an increasing role in many of our lives. Indeed there seem to be quite a few folks I know who acquired a dog during lockdown, who are now becoming features on work video calls … Continue reading →

Those of you who know me or have followed this column for a while will know that I have an interest in observing some of the little things, and how lessons from one industry can be applied to another. This … Continue reading →

Yes I know, there was no blog this last weekend… with life seemingly returning to some sort of normality it has become busy again, and apparently, all it needs is a slight change of routine (an activity was cancelled) and … Continue reading →

Lots more talk on the rising cost of living this week. It was also something I also noticed directly in my weekly food shop too. To be fair it has been a while since I have done a full regular … Continue reading →

Sometimes it is the little things you notice that provide interesting insights, and this week was no different. The topic of conversation was perfectly normal… chatting about differences between markets over the pandemic… it is something I always find interesting … Continue reading →

After what seemed a quiet week the first week of January, everything has suddenly leapt into life. Business development, new proposals, and key deliverables all seemed to be battling for attention this week. It was a relief to get to … Continue reading →

Well, it is the end of the first week back after the holidays and we seemed to have all survived. This week, for me, is always tough. My body has all too easily got used to getting up late, consuming … Continue reading →