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Articles by Robert Tickler

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About Robert Tickler

A man of financial substance, Robert has a wide range of interests and opinions to match. More Posts

The admirable Les

On Sunday I had no hot water in my central London residence. As I have done the last 25 years I sent for Les. There is no problem he cannot sort but as it was a Sunday he needed to return yesterday with parts to repair the system. He is the most splendid chap and  hot water was once again coursing [...]

March 25, 2014 // 0 Comments

After dinner speaking

After dinner speaking has been a profitable side-line for me. I am good at it. There are various secrets which I will not give away as I  am much in demand.  Yesterday a good friend of mine asked me to give a speech at his 60th birthday.  Discounting my normal rate by 50 % I was only too happy [...]

March 23, 2014 // 0 Comments

A close shave

In my youth I had a stint at an advertising agency. I did not learn too much about commerce, as in those days the admen were out for lengthy lunches. However, I did receive one piece of advice which I wish I followed yesterday. Seeing my young cheeks nicked by shaving scars, one of the executives [...]

March 22, 2014 // 0 Comments

On the coast

Yesterday I was in Brighton to see one of my favourite poppets, who is suffering from a flu following a run on the downs in such extreme cold that 2 runners went down with hypothermia. My taxi driver from the station complained of the Green MP Caroline Lucas  and counci, whose leader has the [...]

March 10, 2014 // 0 Comments

The mo-vile phone

When a social historian seeks to identify a sign of our times, I reckon it will be the mobile phone. Walking in a London thoroughfare, it seems one person in three is on the phone and, unlike New York, we do not walk in actual lanes, so as often as not you have to weave out of the way. Few train [...]

March 5, 2014 // 0 Comments

Valentine’s Day

Call me soppy if you will, but I like St Valentine’s Day. What is the problem being romantic once a year? I composed poems for my two favourite poppets Grania and Julia. I will not publish them as: 1) they are not very good; 2) they contain in-joke;s 3) it’s none of your business. [...]

February 15, 2014 // 0 Comments

1900 calories a day

Yesterday I had my second appointment with my dietitician. I had dutifully followed her advice since November, so I was rather embarrassed that I put on a stone in weight. Of course, as in most cases, I had not followed her advice and attributed the increase to the  gastronomic excesses of the [...]

January 28, 2014 // 0 Comments

Keeping up with the technos

I belong to the Blackberry generation. Not really. I belong to the pen and ink generation. I was brought up to write handwritten thank you notes, not send an email. My parents’ notion of consumerism was expressed by my great grandmother ‘s dictum “We can only afford the [...]

January 11, 2014 // 0 Comments

Happy New Year from Robert Tickler

We had a traditional Hogmanay in the wild highlands.  I invited my ghillie, gamekeeper, cook and estate staff for a dram at 6. We served dinner at 8 with some local worthies and then danced reels in a ceilidh and played charades at which my little poppet Lanna from Oban was proficient. Tomorrow we [...]

January 1, 2014 // 0 Comments

Festive lunch

Yesterday I had a lunch with two brothers, both esteemed lawyers, who have kept me out of mischief over the years. We first began the tradition as an annual pre Xmas beano in the late 1970s. The lunch venue started at the Wig and Pen, then moved to the Arts Club and now the Athenaeum. Imagine my [...]

December 18, 2013 // 0 Comments

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