Quick Reads: The Clash, Cheat, The Villains of Hackney and the Price of Honesty

In 1970s Hackney, a young father struggles to support his family while working in a pub riddled with corruption. Surrounded by thieves, he clings to his principles until desperation presents an extraordinary opportunity. With £25,000 within reach, he must decide whether honesty is a virtue he can still afford.

Quick Reads: The Narcissist and the School Drop-Off!

Make both our days by buying a copy of my book! Something About England: Amazon.co.uk: Harris, Mr Christopher, Turner, Louise: 9798181129351: Books Welcome to Denham, a fictitious Sussex village where behind respectable doors, well-tended gardens and familiar faces, things have a habit of going badly wrong. Obsession, ambition, deception, jealousy and petty rivalry run through this collection of tragi-comical and satirical short stories. From poltergeists and lottery winners to cricket club feuds and environmental disasters, ordinary people embark on discovering just how quickly an ordinary life can unravel into an extraordinary mess. Darkly funny, occasionally poignant and populated by characters who are rarely quite what they seem, these stories explore the peculiarities of Middle England, and the uncomfortable territory between respectability and ruin.

The Clash – Cheat: Fifty Years Later, Are Young People Still Fighting the Same Battles?

Nearly fifty years after The Clash recorded Cheat, its cynical message about inequality, dishonesty and getting ahead remains remarkably relevant. As young Europeans protest over housing, education and opportunities, this forgotten punk classic raises an uncomfortable question: has society really progressed, or are we still fighting the same battles?

The Antique Dealers Guide to Using ChatGPT. The Humbling Confessions of Ineptitude of an AI Superpower.

ChatGPT is an extraordinarily useful tool for antique dealers, but its enthusiasm for selling furniture sometimes overrides an inconvenient detail: the truth. After hundreds of listings, I finally asked the AI monster why it keeps overlooking defects. Its confession was revealing.

Brutalist Furniture: The Retro Style That Went From Unfashionable to Cool Again

by Chris Harris And now, somehow, it has become cool again. Not just fashionable, but genuinely desirable. The sort of furniture interior designers place carefully inside minimalist million-pound homes and describe with words like “architectural”, “monastic” and “sculptural”, which is a very elegant way of saying “it looks like it could survive a direct hit … Continue reading Brutalist Furniture: The Retro Style That Went From Unfashionable to Cool Again