Chris Warburton

Saying a lot by saying nothing

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Chris Warburton

This last week was busy, juggling a few priorities, trying to keep on top of things. How we managed all this when we were commuting to the office, travelling to clients, and running the evening taxi service for family, now seems a complete mystery. However a sense of anticipation is starting to build, a return to normal, soon it feels.

Still some observations for the week.

I was in a shop this week and actually used cash… remember that? Even buying/selling secondhand clothes for school – cash is not preferred these days it seems. Amazing how things have changed in only a year.
Over lockdown, YouTube seems to have become a necessity too. It never ceases to amaze me the volume and quality of information that is available, and just how advanced some of the schooling is… a long way from my Casio FX-82B (which was exciting at the time, honest!).
Workwise, I had a pretty interesting conversation about silence… it reminded me that it is not only what is said, but what is not said and indeed how it is not said that can be important… metadata indeed.

More developments this week no doubt, have a good week everyone.

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The Art of Digital

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Chris Warburton

There was quite a bit in the news this week, what with the budget in the UK and the imminent start of relaxation of restrictions in the UK. Most of us here are hoping that this is the last lockdown and things now start to return to normal.

The impact from, what has been a massive change in the economy, can be seen, however. Many of us have adapted to what is a more digitally-driven lifestyle, something that was always mooted, but now much more of a reality. The realization that this works and created new habits for many of us.

Internationally, the COVID pandemic picture is different by region and market. Some, by nature of early, tough action, so far have remained less impacted, others are now starting to see the impact of new variants, some of which have already been in places like the UK already.

What is evident, however, in talking with people from all around the world (one of the wonders of video calls these days), is just how many people think that their country has handled the situation poorly, especially in comparison to other countries. Perspective is everything and it seems no-one is happy.

We cannot of course all be right. It is all a very messy picture and one we need to all pull together to get everyone back to a sense of normality as soon as possible!

Below are some key stories from the week…. have a good weekend everyone

FCA confirms contactless payments rise from £45 to £100 – contactless has been widely adopted during the lockdown, and it is a sign of confidence rising in the form of payment
Two in ten Brits would favour a cashless society – Linked no doubt with contactless too. Many people are now shunning cash
Extra 1.3m people in UK to start paying income tax over next five years – from the budget with freezing the tax thresholds. These could be seen as stealth tax rises, you only pay more when you earn more, and I suppose does also assume rising wages
UK car industry reports worst February sales since 1959 – during lockdown 1 the sector was booming as consumers bought cars to avoid public transport. It seems like some of this has stalled during the latest lockdown
Households paid back £2.4bn of debt in January – the paydown continues. For those in work, many have been able to save money. Remember however it is still very difficult for those in sectors where they have lost their job
UK’s biggest lenders to unveil plans for ‘open banking’ rollout – Open banking has been a hot topic recently, seems like there has been pressure on large banks to adopt and leverage this technology too
‘Crypto Collectibles’ Wave Assigns Big Value To Digital Art, Avatars On The Blockchain – The FOMO and being first, albeit an interesting idea to prove provenance.

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Un-lockdown v 2.0

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Chris Warburton

Finally, it feels as if things are looking up; Pandemic case numbers are down, the vaccine reached 20m 1st doses, schools due to return & this weekend was positively spring-like. Inevitably discussion is now turning to what will happen next.

Soon it will have been nearly a year since we started this new ‘lockdown’ way of living. Some things have been positive, some definitely not. This week it was a debate about the return to the office.

Not many people miss the commute & many find remote working much more efficient… not to mention handy for those Amazon deliveries.
However relentless video calls can be exhausting and there is a social side to work too, grabbing a coffee, catching up, both better in the office… plus Pret a Manger sandwiches!
Lastly, circumstances at home. Those with families at home or more space like the flexibility than those if different cicumstances.

It is all quite polarised and polarising, with plenty of strong opinions and lines being drawn in the sand.

So on reflection, with more change in the air, maybe now is the time to relish our remaining time in the current configuration. Let’s make the most of its best features before all the rushing round starts again. Time to put the kettle on…!

Have a good week everyone.

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Saying a lot by saying nothing

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Un-lockdown v 2.0

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