Coffee revolution

Feb 23, 2018 | Comment

In the book I’m currently reading,  the author bemoans the number of shops becoming wine bars in (1980s) Wimbledon Village. When Costa and Caffe Nero arrive shortly in little old Burford, we’ll have five coffee outlets if you exclude pubs and hotels This has more to do with profit than fashion. Wine bars became fewer when supermarkets took over from off-licences and wine became as cheap as, sometimes cheaper than chips. While it can be bought in hard currency from the 3rd world and sold as a flat white mocha latte in the 1st, the margins on coffee are huge. That could all change when the £ is worth less than the euro, and the $ less than the yuan. And we’ll all be back to instant (kids etc).

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Making a difference?

Making a difference?

The ’70s were for my coming-of-age time, as they were for Stuart Maconie, author of ‘The Nanny State Made Me’. It’s when I took my 0 and A Levels, went to uni and started my first job. My view of the decade will always be rose-tinted, I’ll remember the music, discos, student grants (wouldn’t have known what a tuition fee was) and monthly inflationary pay rises negotiated by unions of which I was not a member. The strikes, high taxes and IRA bombs were background noise to me and, yes, I was the first in my family to go to university and, yes, despite everything, felt more secure with a nanny state in charge than at any time since. I’d happily pay more tax to give my kids and grandkids the same.

Happy Days are here again?

Happy Days are here again?

The ’70s were for my coming-of-age time, as they were for Stuart Maconie, author of ‘The Nanny State Made Me’. It’s when I took my 0 and A Levels, went to uni and started my first job. My view of the decade will always be rose-tinted, I’ll remember the music, discos, student grants (wouldn’t have known what a tuition fee was) and monthly inflationary pay rises negotiated by unions of which I was not a member. The strikes, high taxes and IRA bombs were background noise to me and, yes, I was the first in my family to go to university and, yes, despite everything, felt more secure with a nanny state in charge than at any time since. I’d happily pay more tax to give my kids and grandkids the same.

“The Nanny State Made Me — a timely defence of big government”

“The Nanny State Made Me — a timely defence of big government”

The ’70s were for my coming-of-age time, as they were for Stuart Maconie, author of ‘The Nanny State Made Me’. It’s when I took my 0 and A Levels, went to uni and started my first job. My view of the decade will always be rose-tinted, I’ll remember the music, discos, student grants (wouldn’t have known what a tuition fee was) and monthly inflationary pay rises negotiated by unions of which I was not a member. The strikes, high taxes and IRA bombs were background noise to me and, yes, I was the first in my family to go to university and, yes, despite everything, felt more secure with a nanny state in charge than at any time since. I’d happily pay more tax to give my kids and grandkids the same.