Business as an act of rebellion. Super-chic dogs.
A few weeks into the Burnham administration and I wonder if Britain has become ungovernable. I hope that this government succeeds; you’d have to be insane to wish for yet more chaos, but I do wonder if we can ever have administrative stability again.
There are endless reasons for this instability of course. But the mainstream press and its obsession with the daily, hourly even, machinations of the Westminster Village is one of them, much as they would hate to admit it given their extraordinarily narrow focus and almost overwhelming sense of self-importance*. (*Exceptions apply, and I love them).
This is not to say that we haven’t elected some absolute idiots in the past 15 years, but if everyone in any position of power could focus on stability, I think that would be helpful in itself.
Burnham and his team have many opportunities; the opportunities that newness brings. One of these is to consider the importance of local business to the material and emotional life of Britain.
Rachel Reeves’ reduction of VAT on children’s meals and theme parks this summer was conceivably the most pathetic attempt to kickstart the hospitality industry for several generations. So absurd as to be almost comical. So, I am not talking about that.
What I am talking about is a proper understanding of the immense and deep value of proper small and medium-sized businesses.
Burnham’s opportunity chimes perfectly with any government’s agenda;
To encourage small and medium businesses in order:
to help to build meaningful communities (businesses and customers),
to ease pressure on the NHS through quality of life,
to ease societal tension,
to alleviate the need for us to become America’s puppies by building their data centres,
to alleviate loneliness,
to offer everyone’s life some meaning.
More next week.
Now, to dogs.
As you may know, dogs have always been central to Caroline's and my life. We have had dogs since we first met. When we moved to Glen Dye our mission statement focused on having as many dogs as we reasonably could. Today we have a lurcher and a lab; as beautifully juxtaposed a pair as you could hope for.
When we had Pedlars, we ran a Dog of the Week competition every single week for over 12 years. It was the most visited page on our website (our Financial Director wasn’t convinced this was a good thing, but she was wrong).
Anyway, anyway, now have a full range of bark-dyed kit for dogs, made entirely in the UK, elegant, storied, robust and super-chic.
Until next week, I send my love/best wishes (take whichever you are most comfortable with).
Write back.
Charlie X
