A Revolution in New Year’s Resolutions

Like many, I greatly enjoy the anticipation of Christmas, sometimes rather more than the event itself: the crisp dark nights illuminated with Christmas lights; joining friends from church for our annual carols by candlelight service; the all-pervasive smell of...

Repairing the Past

Although I seldom sit down with the express intention of watching television, I recently found myself engrossed in an episode of The Repair Shop on BBC One, having chanced upon it one evening.  Now in its 8th series, the programme has proven surprisingly popular,...

“…with images some viewers may find distressing”

I remember only too well the first time I heard those ominous words accompanying a story on the BBC News.  It must have been over fifteen years ago, perhaps more, although I can no longer recall details of the exact event that warranted the warning.  But the sense of...

Living by Numbers

There is little doubt that metrics play an increasing role in guiding the decisions we make about many aspects of life, from the schools to which we send our children to the dentist we trust to deliver an implant.  But metrics have also begun to subtly influence our...

The Anti-Depressant Trap

The efficacy of anti-depressants is a debate that has raged for decades and shows little sign of abating.  At its heart lies the broad range of experiences of those prescribed drugs such as fluoxetine, sertraline and citalopram: for some they have proven no less than...