Similar Posts
Thirty years on…
ByJohn MayNever go back. That’s what they say; whoever ‘they’ may be. I’ve taken that advice for thirty years, but a few weeks ago I decided to go and visit the school where I spent my adolescence. I hadn’t visited since I left there a month before I turned eighteen and have never…
Zurich New Year Half Marathon
ByJohn MayWhy? That’s the question most people have asked me since finding out that I was going to run a half marathon on New Year’s Eve. In Zurich. Starting at midnight. In the dark. And my answer has been pretty simple. It’s New Year’s Eve. It’s in Zurich. It starts at midnight. It’s…
Eight Things I’ve Learned Over the Last Twelve Months
ByJohn MayAs the year draws to a close, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the past twelve months — a year filled with its fair share of challenges, surprises, and personal growth. This quiet time between Christmas and New Year feels like the perfect opportunity to pause and take stock of the lessons I’ve picked…
Fifteen perfectly normal British habits that leave visitors completely bewildered
ByJohn MayI have spent a good part of my working life travelling, working with people from other countries and, from time to time, trying to explain Britain to them. That is not always easy. The country we describe abroad is often tidier than the one in which we actually live. We talk about parliamentary democracy, ancient…
James B Partridge and a Journey Back to Assembly
ByJohn MayI fell down a YouTube rabbit hole the other evening. This happens rather more often than I care to admit, but this particular one took me somewhere I wasn’t expecting: back more than twenty-five years, into a succession of school halls. The culprit was James B Partridge. If you haven’t encountered him, he is the…
Teacups and Oblivion
ByJohn MayStaff awaydays don’t have to be spent in a stuffy hotel. We’ve just had a great day out at Alton Towers, where I’ve learned a great deal about myself, my team and our general ability to cope with stress and potential danger… Only three of us were brave enough to go on ‘Oblivion’, but we…

