"news of my death are greatly exaggerated" - as Mark Twain once said. A phrase that unexpectedly entered my life over the last few weeks. It transpired that someone with a very similar name to me (indeed also often referred to as Mike P) had died playing squash. We had both played at the same

As spring (or dotage) approaches I realise increasingly that I seem to live in a world that I no longer understand. But every single time I have turned on the radio, tried to watch the news or opened a paper it is dominated by men obsessing about toilets, and who should go where. Or in

I promise I'm not just going to wang about President Dump - but jeez. Deliberately raising prices for your 'own people' when you promised to bring them down seems as reckless a piece of economic self-harm for the US as Brexit was for us. As ever - it'll be the poorest who suffer the most,

Welcome to the March offering of stuff that's currently in my head. It'll touch on work, music and life in general - but like almost every other civilised sentient being it would be impossible to pretend that global politics is also not dominating much of my brainpower. Other people have written at great length about

Or a new moon rises - been enjoying some quite stunning moon / venus and saturn combinations as dusk sets each evening. Not much else has changed since the January blog then - apart from the unrelenting screech of the US Uber Rich Men of the People taking back control from the woke classes. Or

After extensive polling and public feedback here comes the first blog of 2025. Going to free myself from the constraints of 'weekly' and probably from many of the conventions of good manners. So here as usual is a presentation of life inside my head right now. Work - just getting ready for the final submission of

2024 a year of many blogs – some interesting insight, some humour, some great music recommendations and a load of waffle. Quite enjoyed it – but may go slightly less frequently next year. 2024 was also the year I went fully tilt at middle class and started making my own granola – which I have

2024 a year of many blogs - some interesting insight, some humour, some great music recommendations and a load of waffle. Quite enjoyed it - but may go slightly less frequently next year. 2024 was also the year I went fully tilt at middle class and started making my own granola - which I have

Another week - another tale of misogyny and harassment dressed up as 'banter'. Tiresome. Hopefully his 'middle class women of a certain age' defence will spell the end of his career given the almost universal derision it was met with. I just find myself thinking 'how hard is it really to not be a

In my weekly blog this week I am going to focus entirely on Assisted Dying in light of the first debate on draft legislation this week. A rare chance for parliament to act freely and with compassion. In fact I am going to share my very good friend Helen's latest Substack Post. She speaks much