The Fox in the Attic

In a recent comment Richard D North drew a comparison between my stay with an aristocratic German family in 1972 and Richard Hughes’ 1961 novel, The Fox in the Attic. I must have read it more than forty years ago and had completely forgotten it, so it was a pleasure to read it again for… Continue reading The Fox in the Attic

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Categorised as Literature

In Memoriam

In 2008 when insurance broker Willis moved out of Ten Trinity Square into their current building, a sleek glass-clad high-rise next to the Lloyd’s building, it nearly left something behind.

The Taxman Cometh

In the summer I have the disagreeable task of gathering all my financial statements together and bunging them off to my accountant knowing her return shot in the autumn will be a computation of tax due at the end of January.

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Categorised as Business

Fire and Fury

Michael Wolff’s revelations in Fire and Fury about the Trump administration allege, among much else, that Donald Trump and his inner circle did not expect to win the election. This is last year’s news. It is such old hat that it appeared here in The Truth about Trump posted in July last year. Warning: this… Continue reading Fire and Fury

Gosh, Josh

When I was working I had it easy. All I had to do was look after the clients and find new clients. At first I had “back office” as support. By 2015 I had Mid Office, Back Office, two IT depts, Credit, Compliance, Treasury and Management who all could and often did put a spoke… Continue reading Gosh, Josh

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Categorised as Art, Business

Dancer

I have yet to hear anything good about the remake of Murder on the Orient Express but here is something interesting. Former Royal Ballet Principal Dancer, Sergei Polunin, has a cameo role playing Count Rudolph Andrenyi.

Long Term Investment

My scaredy-cat approach to the stock market has led to under-performance for me in 2017. The easiest segment of my portfolio to value is my online ISA. I re-invest the income but for the purpose of this exercise deducted my annual contribution, giving me +11% on the year, underperforming most if not all indices.

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Categorised as Business

Arise, Sir Richard

By and large I enjoy the Honours system; sharing the pleasure that the recipients enjoy (having their swimgloat, as James Lees-Milne would say) but …

Gainsborough Girls

I saw this Gainsborough at the Fitzwilliam when I went to their Degas exhibition before Christmas. Incidentally the Fitzwilliam had bad luck because there is Degas at the Petit Palais in Paris running concurrently and they probably picked the plums.

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Categorised as Art, Theatre