There’s always one who says… “It’s different this time” is an oft repeated phrase. This is normally followed by a stab at justification such as, “Just look back over the past three years, markets are behaving differently.” And now the good news, it’s never different. Markets never misbehave. Markets simply behave. As David Booth chairperson … Continued
“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination” – John Lennon Do you remember those visual 3D puzzles popular back in the nineties? You had to look into the middle distance, or cross your eyes to find the hidden image. Apparently, our subconscious decodes the differences in repeating patterns. Our brains are hardwired to rearrange things … Continued
… Slow And Steady Wins The Race. “The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect.” Warren Buffett. During much of my career I was based in London, working in or around the City and mostly giving or attending investment presentations. They follow a familiar pattern: how risk is managed, how they measure … Continued
“Jack (or Jill) of all trades, master of none.” This well-known, but slightly insulting figure of speech originated way back in 1592. Originally the phrase was simply “Jack of all trades” and is attributed to Robert Greene, a popular English author of the day. This derisory throw-away line was apparently directed towards a certain William … Continued
In the midst of all the world events over the past few months, one stands out for us… Our inaugural Appreciation Dinner on Friday November 4th. The “Stewardship family” had never been brought together before. We were delighted with the outcome, especially everyone’s willingness to engage, and the ease of conversation that was evident throughout … Continued
Just last week I had the privilege of being part of the Celebration Service marking my brother in law’s life. He was younger than me, and as a keen cyclist and hillwalker, much fitter. He had been a secondary school teacher and guidance head for thirty-four years and was due to retire soon. He had … Continued
Words, language, lexicon all feature heavily in our fast moving, ever evolving world. I had never considered how our vocabularies could expand to reflect our daily experiences. I assumed our English language was ordered and protected by dictionaries whose role was to choose what words were real and just made up. Here is a quotation … Continued
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein I’ve known Simon since his early student days in Aberdeen. My family spent many Sunday afternoons with Simon. We would provide the food; Simon would bring the entertainment which was, invariably, himself. Simon has never lost his ability to entertain … Continued
Heatwaves, wildfires, red weather warnings we have had them all this year, but for me it is a November night that comes to mind. Storm Arwen. Her winds launched a ferocious attack on forests, buildings and power lines disrupting supply for 80,000 local homes leaving remote communities to endure up to ten days without electricity. … Continued
“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience.” Leo Tolstoy Guilty as charged. I’m not a very patient person. I don’t like queues. I really don’t enjoy practicing; I want to play guitar like John Mayer now – not … Continued
