Peter Kenny
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Diane Padgett’s red nose
This photo is of my friend Diane Padgett is from the Construction News site. Diane has a study which overlooks the South Thames construction site in London. Recently having attended a course by the poet John Hegley, Diane told me that one day she decided to pen a poem about the driver of the crane…
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Nancy Tait: a fighter for justice
Heard an obituary today on BBC Radio 4 for Nancy Tait who died at the age of 89. She was a fierce campaigner to have the victims of asbestosis and other industrial diseases compensated, and the conditions themselves recognised. Her husband had died prematurely of asbestosis, and this sparked an indefatigable campaign which dominated the…
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freelancers, slump-juggling and reputation
I’m increasingly hearing stories of extensive redundancies among former colleagues in various agencies. News that can put the willies up you if you work freelance. So far, however, I am relieved to say that I have actually had more work than ever. A sample of one is meaningless of course, but when people are reluctant…
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Sarah Tanburn and snowy Merton
I recently interviewed Sarah Tanburn who is Director of Environment and Regeneration at the London Borough of Merton. I was fascinated by what Sarah told me about the relationship between travel links and the ability of an area to thrive. There is a correlation between poverty and being far from public transportation in London. I’ll post…
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impartiality and the BBC
Just listened to an interview with the mealy mouthed director general of the BBC Mark “the corporation cannot be seen to support one view or another of the conflict” Thompson. The BBC’s usually justified claims for impartiality were in reality upheld by John Humphrys. Thompson’s evasions and blatant inconsistencies revealed in this interview were frankly…
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UK Department of Health, change 4 life campaign
There’s a lot I like about the change 4 life campaign. It is deliberately childish and non-threatening – but stealthily delivers quite a hard message about the obesity timebomb. And its strapline of eat well, move, live longer is direct and no nonsense. It use of animation eliminates the that doesn’t look like me syndrome…
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Poems on the Buses, Guernsey
I lived in Guernsey as a child. It is my spiritual home which I still visit at least once a year. Recently there has been a mini artistic revolution. Last year local writers have been encouraged to come out into the light, and have their work published in an initiative called Pens & Lens. This…
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A NatWest turkey, Smirnoff, and some predictions for 09
My most hated ad of the year: the scene is a Liverpool branch of NatWest where customers find themselves being offered “Money Sense”advice on managing their budgets by pleasant down to earth staff. Yep, this is the same NatWest that’s owned by RBS — who as early as August were revealing the then biggest loss…
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Argos petrol station ad
The Argos ads are works of some cunning. For only the British could love Argos, which is like shopping reinvented by the civil service. The faffing with smeary catalogues, hobbit ballpoints and forms; the baleful queues eyeing the struggles of temporary seasonal staff with increasing tetchiness… It’s what British Christmases are made of. These ads,…
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I love this
I’ve copped this from this lovely blog the sound of butterflies. But I love it. Anybody who makes a living from writing knows what this feels like. Dylan Moran is splendid.
Peter Kenny: a writer's notebook 