The great sociologist and social entrepreneur Michael Young had a reasonable claim to be one of the most influential shapers of contemporary Britain. In 1945, he wrote the Labour Party manifesto, which paved the way for the establishment of the NHS, the post-war Welfare State, public ownership, the National Parks and the new towns. In 1958, his…
If you stand on the hill behind Sheffield rail station – near the memorial to the victims of the 1832 cholera epidemic – and look across the city, Sheffield Hallam University dominates the centre of the city. Without it, there would be a large hole in the city centre. Universities do this to their cities.…
To be honest, Friday evenings are not normally the most energizing time of the week. At the end of a long and tiring week at work, they are normally a time to flop out, hoping there’s enough in the fridge to make something to eat. So it was very good to have a different Friday…
Those who work closely with me know of my tendency to draw on The West Wing as a frequent source of quotations and parallels. A recent survey of the best TV drama series rated it eleventh – above The Wire but (wrongly in my view) below Mad Men. If you are not familiar with it,…