Crisis
“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”. John F. Kennedy
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Back to the future…
The last time I sat in the Great Hall at Bristol University’s Wills Building, I was sitting my Finals exams for my degree. Last night, I stood where the invigilator had stood – and spoke to a room full of Scout Leaders about the impact of Scouting, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and youth work…
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So, am I grown up yet? Part 2
I went to see the RSC’s production of Matilda this evening at the Cambridge Theatre. I know I’m not the first to say it, but I think the show might just be one of those ‘once in a generation’ theatrical events. Tim Minchin’s score is inspired. And Dennis Kelly’s book perfectly captures Roald Dahl’s curious combination of…
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The Blenheim Triathlon
Well, I ache this morning in places I didn’t know I could ache. Triathlons appear to have been developed to create completely new forms of pain and exhaustion! Anyway, it didn’t rain; I didn’t drown and I didn’t get a puncture! I completed the course… Not quite at the pace of the elites, but, as…
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So, am I grown-up yet?
When I was a child, I think I imagined that being a grown-up meant being able to do all the things I wanted to do, but was prevented from doing by my parents and teachers. Sadly, according to research undertaken by the Skipton Building Society, I was wrong. Here are the 50 things that the…
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What the British really mean…
Should you ever find yourself in conversation with a British person and they’re saying things which seem polite on the surface, with perhaps a little undercurrent of scorn, you might want to have this infographic ready to consult. It claims to be a translation of British for people in the European Union, but these themes…
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The Pink Hijab Girl
Humairah Jassat left school last year, lives in Gauteng, South Africa and is now studying journalism at Varsity college. She also happens to be one of the most inspiring young people I have ever met. She grew up in what she describes as a “nice, Muslim family”. She never lacked for anything, but began to realise,…
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The other side of Cape Town
It is a beautiful sunny afternoon in Cape Town. This morning I was able to visit the top of Table Mountain. The views from there, on a clear day like today, are amazing. The city stretches out beneath you to the bay. The sea shimmers. And Robben Island sits in the middle of the water,…
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Uganda – A twenty year affair.
I fell in love with Uganda about twenty years ago. It was the first country in Africa I visited. I was setting up a partnership between the Scouts of the UK, the Uganda Scouts and Unicef that was going to focus on peer education, child immunisation and HIV awareness. Visiting this country I knew almost…
