Category: Columns

I took my daughter to see her first classical ballet at the end of January: Swan Lake, presented by the Moscow City Ballet at the Barbican. Ah, Swan Lake, that tragic and beautiful love story about a prince who is reluctantly forced by his parents to choose a wife from a selection of beautiful, simpering, […]

I recently read that moving house is the second most stressful event a human can endure, the first being the death of a family member. Now I’m not going to argue that the prior tops the latter, as it only involves carrying a single box. I joke, of course. I also believe that this list […]

What do the stars have in store for you this month? You’re far from being a control freak, but you do need to feel that you’re in charge of your own life. This poses problems for you in February when on more than one occasion plans have to be changed at the last minute, and even when plans do fall into place, they don’t work […]

Often the arrival of January brings with it an inevitable lull – a sad comedown after the festivities, the surplus of food and wine, the time spent with loved ones. In years gone by, January has always felt pretty bleak; but not this year.  Let’s be honest – York in December is a thing of […]

As you look ahead into 2019 you know this is going to be an important year for you, especially in connection with jobs and careers.  There’s a time table with a countdown factor, and although there may be just a little bit of anxiety there is also a huge charge of excitement. January brings a […]

Merry Christmas, Yorkies! I’m in an unusually good mood, mostly because I’m one of those people who loves this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I hate it at the weekend, when my only-recently-healed broken ankle is in danger, at every turn, of been stomped on by the massive pulse of mostly grumpy Christmas […]

Did you know 2018 was the year of the dog? I did, I have always envied dogs. The simplicity of their lives, no issue that isn’t solved by a walk, a snooze or the biting of something or someone. Oh to be a hound. We humans, on the other hand have no such luck, even […]

What have the stars got in store for you? December is always dominated by Christmas, and while Christmas can be a tricky period for a lot of people (and has been for you in the past) this year things seem to work out rather well.  Extra work brings in some extra cash, and domestic routines […]

It may be getting harder to avoid news about climate change and global warming (should be “weirding” really) but it is easy to feel helpless and underestimate what we as individuals can achieve. What doesn’t get reported enough is the fact that taking action is a win win for both people and the planet. According […]

I’ve gone and done something pretty stupid. I’ve broken my ankle. Which actually means that I’ve broken both of the major leg bones, the fibula and the tibia, right where they meet the foot.  It’s called a bimalleolar fracture. We both know you don’t really want me to get into the details, so just google […]

With pitchforks and burning torches in hand the villagers rallied, an elder took to the mound in front of the church, her face ravaged by time. She snarled out facts and figures that shocked and saddened, phrases that induced fear in her flock and once she knew they were on the edge, so very nearly […]

On November 28th we are running two interactive sessions for regional businesses looking for support and advice in their move to digital accounting. The deadline for Making Tax Digital is fast approaching and our interactive cloud accounting sessions are designed to help guide you through it. Our afternoon session runs from 12.30 to 14.30 and our […]

Join us as we journey back in time to York’s Old Railway Station. No pushing. No, not the station from where you catch a train today (although if you’ve ever been in it at 2am after returning from ‘a rager’ in Newcastle, it feels pretty old), but rather the place you’d go to request a […]

What have the stars got in store for you? Single members of the sign will probably have more fun this month as they leap after new romantic liaisons and conquests. Out of this hedonism, however, there may be some very nice surprises when something light-hearted and casual becomes something quite intense and permanent. Engagement rings? […]

For businesses, the 2018 Autumn Budget was broadly positive, if somewhat disappointing in terms of a hard-hitting strategic vision, which was perhaps to be expected given the uncertainty of Brexit hanging in the air. Despite the lack of an overarching theme that has been seen in budgets of recent years, a variety of initiatives are […]