The Spoon Drawer

The festive season is nearly upon us and as we start to creep towards 2018 and the start of another year, there will be much soul searching. Are we happy with our lives? Could we be in better shape? Could our relationships be better? Better job? The new year is always the impetus for many people to begin to address where they want to go in life, many new year resolutions are made and fall by the wayside, but those resolutions that are the result of genuine reasons for wanting a change tend to become habit. However, there appears to be a growing trend and number of experts who are suggesting those wanting to switch jobs should not wait until January and consider doing it in December for various factors: Competition For many the thought of having job insecurity or interview hassle around the holidays is too daunting a prospect, but because of these reasons, there is likely to be significantly decreased amounts of competition. Some reports su

Source Last week, Philip Hammond’s second budget was announced to the backdrop of the ever-increasing uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the continued squeezing of public finances, and the wider economic outlook worsening. This highly anticipated event was eagerly anticipated, and followed on from projected forecasts for growth being cut back with Britain sliding to the bottom of the G7 Growth table . This was Hammond’s first opportunity to strike back after falling victim to a steady and unrelenting stream of criticism earlier this year. His first budget in the Spring was met with a flurry of criticism across both the political and public spectrum as the Conservatives abandoned a pre-election pledge not to increase National Insurance contributions. However, the Chancellor then announced a series of measures to clampdown on tax breaks for the self-employed, which led to a sustained backlash from various quarters, and eventually, an almighty U-turn. Following on from There

Now that I have reached the half way mark in my thirtieth year, I have been entrusted with a position of immense responsibility by my parents: I have been tasked with helping them decide what to do with the family home following their announcement that they are going to be retiring to the sunnier climes of the south of France in the new year.  Not only has this afforded me greater amounts of responsibility, it also feels as though I have been initiated into the world of  home staging thanks to my ever enthusiastic mother, as well as the world of arts and crafts and decorating , thanks for my girlfriend. Along with many of our fellow Brighton inhabitants, we have been immensely fortunate to have seen the value of our home soar in value since it was purchased in the late 1990s. It is estimated that average house prices in Brighton and Hove have seen a surge of 500% since 1995 , increasing from the average cost of £50,000 in 1995, to £300,00 in 2015. Recent reports hav

As readers of my blog, you will probably be aware that I am a strong advocate for transparency. This goes not just for politics, but also for charitable organisations, global industries, and in this case, clinical research organisations. This infographic has been designed with the intention of communicating why clinical research should be made public for the benefit of science, public health and innovation. S ources https://www.outsourcing-pharma.com/Article/2016/09/22/The-Final-Rule-clinical-trial-data-to-be-made-public https://www.alcura-health.com/ https://www.ft.com/content/ab6f100c-3c85-11e7-821a-6027b8a20f23

https://unsplash.com/photos/eDnJQL21amc It’s that time of the year again, many will have noticed the distinct change in the weather over the last few weeks. The temperature is dropping, the nights are closing in and some are beginning to see first flakes of snow. Those unhappy with the oncoming winter weather will be pining for summer adventures, leaving those behind in the land of always winter (or that's how it feels at least!) While Christmas produces the uncanny ability to make people relax and enjoy themselves in moments of celebration, it can be a stressful trying to find the perfect gift. The temptation is to either buy for the sake of it or simply throwing money at the situation, neither being a good idea. To help you with your planning this year, here are some thoughts on what to get the travel-obsessed in your life. 1.  A Boast-Worthy Map The changes to how we document our journeys has seen a dramatic change over the last decade, from journals and p

https://stocksnap.io/photo/Q39IFHS1N6 In years gone by, the dream for many was to enjoy the luxury of working from home for one or two days a week. In the last decade, advances in technology have not only made that dream a reality for the entire week, but have also begun to open new avenues for individuals to make money working remotely.  The unprecedented growth in the encompassing complexity of the internet has given writing and photography roles incredible freedom. Now, every budding creative has a platform and a voice to broadcast their talents. In turn, seemingly infinite advertising opportunities have exploded into fruition, enabling content creators to receive financial reward for their passion.  However, remote working hasn't been constrained to just writing and photography. In fact,  a broad spectrum of professions have begun to re-evaluate their roles, and whether or not they would be able to carry out the same job on the move . Programmers, graphic desig

https://unsplash.com/photos/UCZF1sXcejo Dear 'First Years', This month, thousands of you are to descend onto the streets for the all-important fresher’s week, before beginning your degree with a newfound sense of independence (and a cracking headache). However, recent statistics demonstrate that unfortunately for many of you, the initial enthusiasm doesn’t last long. In fact, first-year dropout rates are beginning to rise . As a first-year dropout myself, who later returned - here is my advice: In my experience, we referred to first year as the ‘party year’. After all, “you only need 40%”. Partying and meeting new people often feels like it should take precedence over the main purpose of university (an education). Work subsequently takes a back seat as you settle in with new friends in your halls accommodation and relish in not having any parents around. But, first year isn’t a time to rest on your laurels. You worked damn hard to get here, do

https://pixabay.com/en/courier-night-panning-warsaw-1214227/ For years we have been hearing from industry experts that ‘the gig economy is coming’. In fact, it has been impossible to miss the light and scrutiny that has been cast on this type of work. Politicians and economists have debated the pluses and problems alongside the ongoing legal challenges  the industry continues to face. Yet, there remains no agreed definition of which jobs constitute part of the ‘gig economy’, it usually refers to low paid, flexible work where people are offered their 'gig's through a website or app. The most well-known and popular companies currently operating in this phenomenon are Uber, Deliveroo and TaskRabbit. They are also often confused with zero-hour contracts , the key difference is that the individual is paid by the task performed and not by the hour on a rolling basis. But, the British workforce has already seen significant movement away from the nine to five structure

Source: https://pixabay.com/en/comic-con-comics-books-star-wars-2216147/ This December will mark the fortieth year since Star Wars was gifted to the world by George Lucas, and in that time, has been elevated to cult status around the globe with millions of adoring fans. It is now a common sight to see Darth Vader and Princess Leia at various fancy dress parties, and fans young and old alike wearing Star Wars shoes or t-shirts referencing the films. The cultural impact of Star Wars has been a lot more extensive, and references to the films are littered in popular culture around the world, and are instantly recognisable to both fans and non-fans alike. This impact upon wider popular culture had not been seen at the time at the time of release, and it is unlikely that we will ever witness a movie have such a significant impact again. The Impact of Star Wars Upon Fashion It should not come as a surprise that the memorable iconic garments from the film have had a substanti

There comes a time in every man’s life where he stops thinking about the best place to head on a Friday night when he instead realises that he would far rather stay at home with a glass of whiskey and ponder themes of politics and philosophy over an acclaimed read from Amazon. This momentous occasion in a man’s life usually throws a few key considerations into the fray, that haven’t previously been realised: He doesn’t really like whiskey yet… (he will, in good time). He doesn’t have Amazon Prime, so he’ll have to wait a few extra days for that captivating read. He doesn’t have anywhere where he can actually sit down and relax…he needs a man-cave! Now I’d like to firstly start by stating that I’m not particularly fond of the term ‘man cave’, though I understand why it came to be. Yes of course we are men, but to suggest that a fine leather interior and a sixty-inch television constitutes as a ‘cave’ is quite frankly, offensive. In this piece, I will instead opt

The last few weeks of the summer months are always a challenging period for school-goers, either it represents the end of weeks' of freedom, or for those who have recently undertaken exams, it can mean either commencing higher education, or the daunting prospect of entering the workplace. There is no doubt that it is an important period in a person’s life, the results achieved can have long-lasting effects; failure to attain a desired grade in a subject can lead to having to choose a new university, or abandon entering higher education completely. However, it certainly is not as critical as it once was. Changing times and technology are presenting an abundance of previously never thought of career opportunities. So much so, that many young people are carving out niche opportunities for themselves from unlikely sources, such as being an ethical hacker or a vlogger.   The majority of these opportunities do not require any or at least the same level of qualifications

The NHS is a wonder to perceive and in 2014 was responsible for putting the U.K. ahead of  11 other Western countries  in terms of healthcare. Yet despite its astonishing existence, this monolithic national treasure is still in the dark ages technologically speaking. This article looks at three advantages that bringing the NHS into the digital light would have. Communications Efficiency A report conducted by The Commonwealth Fund scored the NHS highly for its efficiency in running, quality of care, and value at patient level. Given that most NHS records are stored offline, for it to have achieved this status in its current paper based state, speaks volumes to the hard work and dedication of NHS staff. With these credentials, the potential for improving the efficiency of this service by digitalising is huge. An example of this would be the time saved in transferring patient documents between GP surgeries and hospitals themselves. This is currently done via post, whic

Source: https://dotincorp.com/shop/product/dot-watch-1-a/  I have previously touched upon the subject of how smart tech has been and is currently being developed to improve the quality of lives for those with additional needs. These pieces of technology are being designed to blend in with everyday items, like watches, while improving the lives of individuals. In the UK alone, there are around 2 million people that live with sight loss. Statistics also show that by 2020 this will increase to around 2,250,000. There are various companies that have already started developing watches that will improve the quality of life of those suffering from sight loss. The brand Dot has created a sleek, modern watch, which connects to the user’s phone and vibrates and translates text messages and notifications into braille. Even more recently than smart watches, are devices like Alexa from Amazon. These voice-activated technologies have huge potential to assist the elderly and the