Politics The Peter Principle This is a concept in management theory. Employees do a good job and are promoted to another job at the next level up. This may require different skills. They may succeed or not, but at some point, they will be promoted beyond the level where they can perform effectively. So
Christianity Love and hate If you live in a democratic society, and the governing body makes a decision that you don’t like, what can you do? There are various options: (1) You can accept it, while seeking protection for your own views. (2) You can protest the decision and seek it to change
Christianity Tourism with a spiritual dimension On one day in Berlin in May 2024, I walked 10 miles on a circuit from west to east and back again. I took in a number of sights I wanted to see and experienced others I did not expect. Amid all this, the spiritual ran like a thread. First
Christianity All Hallows, Leeds All Hallows church in Leeds is one of the most inclusive churches I have ever attended. The congregation is gender-diverse and absolutely anyone is welcome. I turned up in female mode and felt completely at home. From its welcome leaflet: All Hallows is an inclusive Christian church in inner-
Art Sargent and Fashion I saw the exhibition Sargent and Fashion at the Tate Britain in June 2024. This showcased many portrait paintings by the American artist John Singer Sargent in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was so interesting to see fashion used as art in this way. I saw some
Gender The future is female The future is female: the belief in full social, economic and political equality for women. I came across the work of the Patroa Studio by chance in a market stall north of Berlin Cathedral in May 2024. They produce art designs which are printed on cloth. This one says it
Christianity The Four Loves CS Lewis is best known as the author of the Narnia series of books, but he also wrote many works of Christian apologetics which are classics in their own right. The Four Loves, published in 1960, is one of these. He analyses three natural loves and one divine love – Affection,
Art Now you see us In 2024, the Tate Britain put on the exhibition Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520–1920. This was educational for me. I hadn’t heard of any female artists, except Gwen John, and the only painting of hers that I knew was her self-portrait (which is
Gender Memorial for Gays and Lesbians Persecuted by the Nazis People say that Berlin is a 24-hour city. That may be true in the centre, but it was not true in the western suburb of Moabit at 6.00am on a Saturday morning in May 2024. I saw very few people and cars at the start of a slightly
Politics The Clacton byelection: 13 August 2026 Just in: the result of the political non-contest of the year, the Clacton byelection. As expected, Farage got more votes than anywhere else. His total of 22,239 was slightly up on the 2024 general election where he received 21,225. His percentage of the vote share rose from
