Nicola Pike

Ah, completed missed what you were flagging (I don’t tend to read the sports pages so my perspective was naively around his jeweller partnership). I now see what you were pointing out, which definitely needs highlighting and remedying

Chain reaction: Why is there such unbridled lust for Connell's necklace in Normal People? The jewellery worn by the heart-throb of the Sally Rooney TV adaptation has set hearts fluttering - and now has its own Instagram account

Still not quite “Connell from Normal People “ level of interest though (unless there is an Instagram account for chain wearing cricketers that I have missed?) 😂 www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

If you use the Notes app on an iPhone you have a scan function which is good

If you have the negatives then there are some cheap but great negative scanners that convert to digital. When you only have the photos I found that taking photos of them with high spec camera phone can achieve good results. You just need to make sure you have the set up right with lighting etc.

I went to a dinner with the AI Minister and I read a paper on Lovelace Institue --- a proposal from Tony Blair's Institute on how we could fund breakthrough science better. And I wrote that all up into one incoherent mess for you to enjoy. tomforth.co.uk/nationalpurp...

YouTube video by Intermarché Intermarché - Conte de Noël

Like most people from Gen Rave/ X, I loved this years’ John Lewis Christmas advert but this French advert from Intermarché deserves a share. Excellent animation and nice storytelling youtu.be/Na9VmMNJvsA

Go on…. You need to share now. Are you more Gail’s or Greggs, Artisan or Asda, Waterstones or Wetherspoons…. ? 😂

Hamburg is wonderful at any time of year but particularly Christmas time.

My deepest sympathies Owen. Thinking of you

Colchester has 3…

Santa Cruz is a great place and Lost Boys is a classic film with a fabulous soundtrack. Those 5 people are definitely missing out!

Strictly + Steps + Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom = a winner as far as I’m concerned

Just trying to imagine a station on Kings Parade. Would either be horrific or akin to stepping out of the station in Venice and seeing the grand canal in front of you (a wow moment every time!).

Is this not because they are the generation who remember the Mick Fleetwood/ Sam Fox Brits presenting fiasco & also the overuse of ‘Don’t stop’ for the Clinton campaign? FWIW I am in this category and adore Fleetwood Mac now but didn’t for a long time

😂

The six-seven trend that’s tyrannising maths teachers, explained Adults are baffled by kids chanting the digits at them. It’s annoying, but it could be beneficial

Basically describing life in my house for the past 6-7 weeks | The six-seven trend that’s tyrannising maths teachers, explained

www.thetimes.com/article/3175...

Need to visit this. Used to spend a couple of days a week working at “the Pyramid” in my Co-Op Bank days

Policy Unit - The Productivity Institute How we work with policy makers on critical productivity issues at both a local and national level.

Exciting things happening in TPI today- we've launched a Policy Unit headed up by Policy Director @andywestwood.bsky.social
Today we have Policy briefings and commentary from Andy, @gilesyb.bsky.social , @timleunig.bsky.social , Professors Stephen Roper & Jun Du www.productivity.ac.uk/policy-unit/

A rich man on R4 just said he would stay in the UK to educate his kids, but then leave so as not to "bankrupt them with our own assets" via inheritance tax.
Must be exhausting to be so focused on playing the system that you can't just use your money to live where you want to

Agree. This is a really good column

My 2 favourite Dames, Cole Porter and Agatha Christie. What’s not to love? RIP Dame Maggie

Will AI solve the UK’s growth problem? Don’t be so sure AI might one day follow earlier technological innovations in boosting productivity, including in public services, but it could be agonisingly slow

Great column from my @productivity.bsky.social colleague @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social in The Sunday Times this morning | Will AI solve the UK’s growth problem? Don’t be so sure

www.thetimes.com/article/752c...

Former minister Greg
Clark: #industrialstrategy needs an intellectual “hook” and that should be: improve #productivity. @productivity.bsky.social

Watching this live now. Great panel and insights/ views so far. Nice to see my @productivity.bsky.social colleagues @andywestwood.bsky.social & Kate Barker on the panel with @gilesyb.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social & Greg Clark

RIP anyone who had a survey/experiment out tonight to measure debate effects but cannot now parse debate effects from Swift effects

How to make ‘levelling up’ work for business Governments have struggled to implement a successful regional economic strategy for decades, but it is crucial to Labour’s central growth mission

Interesting OpEd in The Times this morning. Business leader view on industrial strategy and how the regions have their part to play #UKproductivity | How to make ‘levelling up’ work for business

www.thetimes.com/article/46f6...

If there is one thing I have learnt in the 4 years of working in The Productivity Institute, it is that there isn’t a single magic solution to fixing UK productivity and it is multifaceted with many of the elements dependent on the other.

The Productivity Agenda - The Productivity Institute Download the Agenda for free to find out how the public, private and civic sectors can be better equipped to translate productivity gains into improved living standards and well-being across the UK.

The Productivity Agenda (with original piece by Anna and Bart) is here www.productivity.ac.uk/research/the...

The new report from Nesta is here options2040.co.uk/wp-content/u...

Also references the idea of an independent productivity and growth commission. First mooted in National Productivity Week last Nov in a paper by Bart van Ark & Anna Valero). It was also picked up by the Resolution Foundation’s Economy2030 report so good to see another group advocate for the idea