Category Archives: Church of England

People with long eyes

Posted on October 4, 2012 by henry tapper

“People with long eyes” This is what some native Americans called the scientists setting up a telescope in the mid-west desert; the phrase gave Lucy Winkett’s sermon at the St Paul’s Schools John Colet Day its theme. I sat and listened with long ears … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Church of England, leadership, Management, Occupy London, St Paul's | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reformation The Mallowstreet Party

Posted on July 19, 2012 by henry tapper

Vincent Franklin looked out from what used to be the roof of City Telephone Exchange. The Exchange (according to Con Keating) had walls fifteen metres thick and had been built to withstand a nuclear bomb. They’d pulled it down to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Change, Church of England, corporate governance, economics, Fred Goodwin, leadership, mallowstreet, Olympics, Olympics 2012, pension playpen, pensions, redington, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

“Pensions that are no more”

Posted on April 29, 2012 by henry tapper

Cardinal O’Brien Scotland‘s most senior Catholic, has been very specific in his comments on social inequality. Ostensibly they are aimed at David Cameron, but if the pensions industry think they are absolved, they should think again. (Cardinal O’Brien) said: “When I say poor, I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England, Consolation, dc pensions, defined aspiration, pensions, Public sector pensions, religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

We console ourselves when we grieve for Fabrice

Posted on March 21, 2012 by henry tapper

The two questions Fabrice Muamba is reported to have asked as he came out of his coma were “did we lose?” and  “why did they stop the match?”. For someone who has been through as much as Muamba did in his childhood, … Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England, Consolation, poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t blame Stephen Hester – we made his rules.

Posted on January 30, 2012 by henry tapper

If anything is to be learned from current events, it needs to be learned about how the rules are established (not whether they are applied). Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Church of England, corporate governance, dc pensions, Fred Goodwin, pension playpen, pensions | 4 Comments

THE PHILOSOPHY OF TRUST – Onora O’Neil

Posted on January 23, 2012 by henry tapper

I came across this on mallowstreet and thought it relevent to many of the discussions on this blog. I’ve written about ethics and political philosophy all my working life, but until the last two years I did not write on … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Church of England, corporate governance | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

10 infrastucture opportunities pension funds cannot ignore!

Posted on January 22, 2012 by henry tapper

The Government has announced that it wants UK pension funds to invest in UK infrastructure. This week we saw a slice of Thames Water purchased by the Chinese. I live on the Thames and as dawn rises this morning I’m on “Junk Alert” on “the partially yellow river”. Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Bankers, Church of England, corporate governance, dc pensions, de-risking, religion, Retirement, social media, Treasury, Twickenham, twitter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Domestic bliss at Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2011 by henry tapper

Christmas domestic bliss has been in short supply at the Tapper’s ancestral home. Some member’s of the family remember a happy Christmas Day in 1975 but we seem to have been in permanent warfare ever since. This year, the major issues … Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

He’s not a politician – he’s just a very naughty boy

Posted on December 2, 2011 by henry tapper

Clarkson is not a politician, he is an obnoxious controversialist trying to be a comedian Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England, corporate governance, jeremy clarkson, Occupy London, OECD, pension playpen, social media, Treasury | 2 Comments

Treasury 1 DWP 0 (Steve Webb o.g. 89 minutes)

Posted on November 28, 2011 by henry tapper

I wouldn’t like to be Steve Webb this afternoon. Having protested for the past few weeks that the DWP‘s auto-enrolment timeline was carved in stone, we learn today that employers with 3000 or less employees  (for details follow this link!) will have another year or so to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Church of England, customer service, dc pensions, Liberal Democrats, Middle East, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment