Category: Uncategorized
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New for 2026: The Nightingale Express
What does it mean to be “cool”? If your answer is “who cares?” then you might just make the grade…! At 44, I’m finally free of the decision prison that “cool” imposes. And to celebrate this liberation, I became the proud owner of a train set this weekend. It’s a humble beginning don’t get me…
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Birmingham Christmas warm-up
With so many weekends tied up in the build-up to Christmas, I took an early chance to sample the joys of Birmingham’s winter festivities. This included ice-skating at the temporary rink in Centenary Square, and perhaps unconventionally, a 5-course Japanese meal at a restaurant in the Cube. Happy Christmas to all (well in advance).
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Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul turned out to be far more European than I’d expected. In hindsight, that shouldn’t have surprised me—its history and geography have always made it a natural bridge between West and East, Europe and the mysterious world beyond. Swap the magnificent mosques for cathedrals and you could easily imagine yourself in any number of cities…
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Daring to be different: space costs money!
I’ve lived a long life and accumulated a wardrobe that’s as extensive as my shoe collection. I’m determined to avoid having a large portion of it tucked away and inaccessible in storage—as has so often been the case in years gone by. Dead space costs just as much as used space, so I decided it…
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Home Makeover Journey: From Chaos to Comfort
Boy, have I been busy lately! The past few weeks have been hot, hot, hot — ever since I returned from Chile in May, it’s felt like an early summer: warm, dry, and relentless. And, true to form, I’ve had far too much going on to properly relax under the seasonal sun. After buying my…
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Mastering Life Organization: A Guide to Freedom
No offence intended, but I believe many adults are still amateurs at life. For many, life is a visible hot mess—chaotic, disorganised, and constantly in flux. And to be fair, there are good reasons for this. Work consumes our time and often feels like an abusive relationship. We’re pulled in all directions by partners, family,…
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Garden Springing Up
It’s not a huge space but it’s my space, and I’m slowly turning it into a haven for me, local cats and the many bees who visit. I inherited a slightly wild flower garden and I’m running with it. Like everything else on ad around the property TLC is needed. I’m a busy man so…
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Experience London’s West End: ‘Manhunt’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’
I had the pleasure of seeing two West End shows over the Mayday bank holiday, 2025. The first was called “Manhunt” – a gripping new play written and directed by Robert Icke, currently running at the Royal Court Theatre in London until May 3, 2025. The production delves into the harrowing true story of Raoul…
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Exploring Santiago and Lima: My Journey at the ILPC
I was lucky enough to visit Chile and Peru whilst attending the International Labour Process Conference in Santiago. There was a lot of work, it was no holiday but it felt like one nonetheless. The closest I came to a true break was during a day off in Lima, where I got to walk alongside…
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Remember summer 2024?
Summer 2024 was a funny old vintage. Like with many summers, I had too much on to really stop and smell the flowers – so to speak. Towards the backend though we did have a succession of weekends with nice weather and I was able to get to the coast to enjoy it. Here are…
Dr Martin James 