The Time Bubble

We had a fantastic week away in Yarmouth last week, and were very lucky with the weather. On the day we drove back, it began pissing down with rain. Prior to that it had been lovely - warm enough for us to go the outdoor pool at the park, a rarity indeed on our holidays on the home front in recent years. Whilst we were down in Yarmouth, we spent quite a lot of time looking at property in the local area. This wasn't a spur of the moment decision but part of a long term plan, of which relocating is one of a number of options. We've been privately renting in Bicester for some years, which has suited our purpose well, up until now. When Claire and I got together and Ollie was born we were on somewhat of a less secure financial footing than we are today and renting was our best option. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, if you own a house), property prices have spiralled in Oxfordshire in recent years, to prices that I consider to be quite ridiculous. A recent survey showed that ...

One of the things that makes us all uniquely different as human beings is our own individuality. Whilst millions of people could have any one of the same songs that I have on their iPod's, the chances of any single one of them having an identical playlist to the one I'm currently listening to is infinitesimal. Music is one of those things that defines us as individuals and is very special to us. That is why I never run down any musical artists, even if I don't personally like them. I find it quite shallow and egocentric of people when they make sweeping statements of their own opinions and present them as fact, e.g. "Westlife are crap". I choose Westlife as an example because I personally can't stand them though clearly lots of people do as they have sold millions of songs. If asked for my opinion I'd just say I didn't like them. Different people follow different musical genres and have different tastes. The one piece of advice I could offer to a...