Will Humphrey

One small parenting reflection:

Why dress your u8 like they are a 45 year old trust funder?

They’ve their whole lives to consider chinos and a gilet, and a vanishingly small time to make sartorial choices which would get them locked up in later life.

Kids as wealth signalling is a choice.

Oh, I thought I wasn't going to like a lot of the canon, and surprised myself by really enjoying the more historically laden stuff (HELLO, MILTON).

Exeter's 'Past & Present' and 'Culture and Criticism' modules (one a quick run through of the classics - from the Bible to Crusoe, and one a whistlestop intro to cultural theory) was one of the big reasons I chose the course.

I think that most of the issues with professional services marketing is that those shining stars who have the most to teach the wider world - are also those who least want to have anything to do with marketing/self promotion.

YouTube video by Vague Rant Monkey Dust: Richard Curtisland

I've never seen Love Actually, with no desire to. My wife is always surprised by this.

This explains it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKSG...

And there was a Neko Case record out last week! (It is great).

"The name's Brooke. Brooke Bond. Like the tea."

Joan Shelley's voice was made for this sort of weather. (Yes, a lot of good new albums out today, apparently!)

Taylor Swift’s Charli xcx hit job misses the point – and underscores her tedious obsession with conflict | Laura Snapes Sixteen months after Charli used Brat to air her anxieties about Swift, the US star’s graceless response is a missed opportunity for growth – and betrays her vengeful side

As an aside, this makes a great point about how rage/conflict helps things cut through & scale. And how EXHAUSTING it is.

www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

So true. Exeter University was a rude awakening.

I am reading it right now. About halfway through. A bit on the fence about it, but she's an helluva writer.

The Guardian have put on their big boy pants today and written a few articles criticising dear old Taylor's new one.

Awaiting the rowback from another journalist who post rationalises it on the site as a five-star triumph.

Marvelling at the increasingly elaborate way the local private school (25k a year) is spending money.

Not content with building an even bigger sports ground (affecting my kids’ school for 18m), today they are off to Thorpe Park.

Got to justify those fees somehow.

I actually had the shakes last night. Not a fan at all.

First time being a bit ill for a few years. I am not a fan. Send chicken soup.

I've always thought those posters were pretty rubbish, I must admit. Something I could've knocked out in an afternoon as a first go.

THE STRATEGY HUB The New Home for Strategists

Yeah, one Graeme Douglas set up over on LI. Now morphed into www.thestrathub.com

Yep. Have had a colleague in ME endlessly leave me voice notes. Infuriating - before I realised it was very much 'the done thing'.

WhatsApp/messenger is a funny medium. I very much DO NOT use it for client discussions.

Have joined a popular strategy group. There's been some discussion about tone/how professional to be.

I do not think it should be viewed professionally. No desire to blur the lines. (But that's just me!)

I have a version of that. The client I led strategy on when I was advertising side took a lot of its CRM in-house. It was..not great.

I move consultancy side. I see the VERY CHART which suggested they should do that from our lot.

There's always a chart, somewhere...

It’s almost like communications, once able to try and see below the tropes, now relies on them as the process and people get hollowed out.

Ahem. (Entirely agree with you btw. Summed up by the lazy ‘it’s a <brand> thing’)

Goarn Stoke!

Very good.

I watched the Wuthering Heights trailer so you don't have to.

I regret to inform you all that the director is At It Again.

Oasis were very good last night. The hype was justified, pleasingly.

However, I am not built for Sunday night gigs and Monday morning work. Used to be, but this is aging, I guess.

Amazing. Looking forward to Richard A too. Haven’t ever seen him live.

Ah, you saw it! Very good, eh?

Oasis today. Hopefully success in the Ryder Cup too. Should be a top Sunday.

Even if the US end up winning this, Bradley is a woeful captain. Why pair such obviously out of form pairs and then double down?