Chris Barrow
Jul 23, 20220 min read


The Face Mask Phenomenon
What is it about face masks that I’m now finding them discarded on the pavement, on drainage grid covers, in supermarket car parks, in...
Chris Barrow
Aug 29, 20202 min read


Is there a need for vigilance in the post-lockdown economy?
The Saturday on which we arrived back from Greece (1st August) was the same day that, in three separate incidents, local residents in my...
Chris Barrow
Aug 9, 20202 min read


I’d rather lose my money than my mind
This year is our 14th trip to the island of Ithaca, made special by boarding the very first flight from Manchester to Kefalonia...
Chris Barrow
Jul 30, 20205 min read


Fanatics
I don’t like religious or political fanatics. They cause more harm than perhaps any other humans. I love work fanatics. They make every...

Chris Barrow
Jan 23, 20201 min read


Before the bandwagon
It was the 60’s and 70’s British financier Sir James Goldsmith (one of my more controversial personal heroes) who coined the phrase: If...

Chris Barrow
Jan 22, 20201 min read


Is Britain going back to work?
I find myself working for the third consecutive weekend this month and it’s not making me happy. The first two weekends I worked on...

Chris Barrow
Jan 19, 20202 min read


Researching how best to deliver 2021
It has been very humbling to read the daily submissions of those enjoying our Get Your Year in Gear (GYYIG) programme this month. I have...

Chris Barrow
Jan 12, 20202 min read


On Brain Pickings, Steinbeck and self-doubt
I’m a huge fan and regular reader of Maria Popova’s weekly email newsletter “Brain Pickings”. To quote Maria, “Brain Pickings has a free...

Chris Barrow
Jan 4, 20204 min read


Family
Easily the biggest story of 2019 was Annie taking a DNA test, simply to find out some more about her ancestory, only to discover two...

Chris Barrow
Dec 28, 20191 min read


Boxing Day 2019
It has been a very long time since I posted to this blog. Time to start again perhaps? What better time than to reflect on a superb...

Chris Barrow
Dec 27, 20192 min read


He
My rating: 5 of 5 stars What a great novel with which to start the year – Connolly brings the characters and their world to life with...

Chris Barrow
Jan 5, 20191 min read


Oman 2018 – the emotion, the coaching and the tactics of the trip of a lifetime
The Emotion I want you to imagine falling asleep under the most amazing star field you have ever seen. After unbroken dreams of beaches,...

Chris Barrow
Jul 23, 20174 min read


Why we will all go back to work today
There have been two occasions in recent weeks on which I’ve woken early and arrived down in the kitchen to discover horror stories all...

Chris Barrow
Jun 5, 20172 min read


An open letter of gratitude to Direct Line Insurance
James Payne South West Sales & Service Cluster Director Direct Line Insurance 37 Broad Street Bristol BS1 2EQ 1st May 2017 Dear James I...

Chris Barrow
May 1, 20173 min read