As another hectic year draws to a close, I’m pleased to have found time to write here and elsewhere.
I launched a newsletter on Substack in 2023, which has hundreds of subscribers. This squeezed time for personal blogging, which raised questions about whether it’s still worth writing here too.
As a space for me to shape my thoughts, it remains useful. And the engagement with posts (which is up on 2022) suggests that others find it useful too.
Thanks to everyone who’s continued to engage.
Here are the three posts that had the most views in 2022.
Three most read blogs
#3 Letter to James Heappey MP: stand with parliament on Monday
I asked my MP James Heappey (Conservative, Wells) in June to back the House of Commons Committee of Privileges’ partygate report into Boris Johnson’s conduct. Mr Heappey didn’t respond to the letter, and abstained from the vote which MPs overwhelmingly endorsed.
#2 Fuel prices power community of interest
I published this post late last year about a Facebook group my dad set up to share information about petrol prices in Pembrokeshire. A year later, as fuel costs rocket, the group stands at nearly 10,000 members. It has a team of volunteer admins (including me) facilitating hundreds of posts and thousands of comments every month. Local media regularly share lists of ‘cheapest places to buy fuel’. And MPs and Assembly members are in contact with the group and taking its concerns to major retailers. It’s a fantastic, positive community resource which is saving people money.
#1 Five questions for teams considering a four-day week
This post discussed the ‘debate’ around office work and the potential emergence of a four-day working week. Having read around this and written about it before, I thought it worth posting some questions employers and teams should consider. As we enter a hybrid phase of working from different locations in 2024, I’ll follow and contribute to this conversation with interest.
Thanks for stopping by
This year wasn’t without its challenges but had some fantastic highlights.
We promoted sites with capacity for thousands of homes and jobs, supported the transformation of places, and helped businesses reposition and face the future. I was pleased to contribute to a book on AI, as part of a collaboration with Stephen Waddington, which is selling well.
I’m looking forward to what comes next. I hope 2024 is everything you want it to be. Whatever happens, it will be interesting.