Archive for December, 2016


Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (7)

December 31st, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Earlier, I have blogged about my three shifts as a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas (CAC). The 45th CAC is now over. Collection of accurate statistics and data is still taking place, but the charity has shared with volunteers  some highlights of the event to demonstrate what we contributed to this Christmas. […]

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A review of “The Danish Girl”

December 30th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander and Tom Hooper consolidate their success in this moving story about a genuine transgender experience. I’ve reviewed the film here.

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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (6)

December 28th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Yesterday (Tuesday) was the third and last of my shifts as a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. As I waited for the briefing to begin for the expected 170 volunteers, I spoke to two other volunteers: one guy who works in the travel sector and another doing a PhD in […]

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Remembering George Michael in concert

December 27th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

The sad and premature death of singer/songwriter George Michael reminds me of when I saw him in concert. It was the first non-sports event at the new Wembley Stadium in London and the date was Sunday 10 June 2007. I wondered why I could not find an account of the concert on this blog but, […]

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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (5)

December 26th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Yesterday (Christmas Day) was the second of my three shifts as a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. In London, there is no public transport on Christmas Day so, to reach my centre in the middle of town, I had to use my local cab company. This is staffed overwhelmingly by […]

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Nine ways to find happiness

December 25th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

I’ve just finished reading a book titled “Happiness By Design” which lists nine features which enhance life satisfaction. You can check out my review and the nine factors here. And a Merry Christmas to you!

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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (4)

December 24th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

I have become a volunteer for the first time in my 68 years. I am doing three shifts with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. I am working on 23, 25 & 27 December and have deliberately given myself a day off between each shift to recover physically and emotionally. My shifts run […]

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A review of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

December 23rd, 2016 by Roger Darlington

The eighth “Star Wars” film is the first stand-alone one but fits very neatly in between III and IV. As a 68 year old, I enjoyed it as much as my nine year old companion. It is a Christmas cracker of a movie which I have reviewed here.

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How can the consumer voice be better heard in the regulation of essential services? – 15 videos with some answers

December 22nd, 2016 by Roger Darlington

I have previously blogged about a major conference at the BT Tower which I chaired on 2 November 2016. The event was organised by the Essential Services Access Network (ESAN), which I chair, and the theme was “How can the consumer voice be better heard in the regulation of essential services?” The various speakers discussed […]

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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (3)

December 21st, 2016 by Roger Darlington

This year, I am going to be a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. At the induction session for new volunteers, we were given some background information on the causes of homelessness: The lack of housing overall The lack of affordable housing The loss of a tenancy Lacking work and/or skills […]

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