Results tagged “Seventeen”

By Andrew Williams

You'll often hear me saying that we need more carrots than sticks when it comes to green living.

This is equally true of green business and today (February 9) sees that launch of a great opportunity for local businesses to see their green efforts rewarded.

By Andrew Williams

There are statistics available telling us which is the unhappiest day of the year. There is some loose psychology behind this, and a lot of disagreement on the precise date, but in 2012 the dubious honour falls to this Sunday. The theory is that a perfect storm of cold weather, post-Christmas debt, and failed resolutions conspire to make us miserable.

By Andrew Williams

It's that time of year when we pause from our post-Christmas revelry to ponder what the year ahead might have in store for us.

After the tumult of 2011 it feels like we could use a bit of peace and quiet. So what will the next 12 months have in store for those of us with a greener outlook on life?

By Andrew Williams

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas, so the saying goes. But can you imagine Christmas without a sizeable chunk of meat in the middle of the table? There has been a fair amount of commentary this year, spurred in part by the economic conditions, that perhaps some of us might shy away from the traditional turkey this year and opt for a vegetarian meal instead.

By Andrew Williams

We're looking forward to another of our favourite events this week, the First Book Award.

This prize recognises debut authors who have impressed the literary world with a new voice in a crowded market. It's been encouraging to see that even in new developments like Westfield Stratford City there is room for great bookshops.

By Andrew Williams

As a child, I remember the horror with which my parents noted that a neighbour had put their Christmas tree up on December 1.

This seemed at the time to be a ridiculous faux pas, and yet in the intervening years it seems that Christmas has begun earlier and earlier.

By Andrew Williams

I have no delusions of grandeur about my status as a green guru, but every now and then it's nice to chat to the next generation of sustainable event professionals.

This week I was in High Wycombe to talk to some of the students on the event management course at Bucks New University.

By Andrew Williams

Green issues are probably not always associated with belly laughs.

In fact, the environmental movement in general has a reputation for po-faced solemnity and an innate ability to take itself far too seriously.

By Andrew Williams

Last week I wrote about apples so it seems appropriate this week to be talking about Apple.

The company has been in the news for many reasons lately, not least for the death of its figurehead Steve Jobs. Whether you think Jobs was a techno saint or a fast talker who got lucky, his reputation as an innovator seems assured.

By Andrew Williams

While the leaves may now be falling and the last of the summer rays are fading fast, there is still time to celebrate a little slice of sunshine.

This weekend sees a special two-day event taking place which celebrates all things apple.

By Andrew Williams

I managed to escape the Wharf recently to the relative quiet of the Kent coast.

While towns like Margate and Broadstairs seem like tranquil boltholes compared to the capital, they're playing an important part in our renewable energy supply.

By Andrew Williams

When historians look back at 2011, I wonder whether there will be two words that define the complexities of the land we live in - Big Society.

The Government's pleas to communities to take more interest in their own affairs have been mirrored by increased tension.

By Andrew Williams

It may seem trite or irrelevant to talk about the recent social unrest in a column about green living.

These riots weren't about recycling quotas or organic vegetables.

By Andrew Williams

Festival fever has descended on Victoria Park once again with some great weekends of music and fun.

Last weekend saw Field Day take over the park with Wild Beasts headlining and some wilder outfits in the audience.

By Andrew Williams

And so we pass another milestone in the journey to the 2012 Olympic Games.

We're now less than a year from the opening ceremony and while you can be sure that there will be many other hyped moments to come it already feels as though we're in the last lap of the build-up.

By Andrew Williams

I had a fantastic time on the Isle of Jura last week with unseasonal sunshine and an even warmer welcome from the people on the island.

Among the highlights for me was a boat trip we took past Barnhill, the house at the remote north end of the island where George Orwell wrote 1984.

By Andrew Williams

Finally the summer is upon us, and I'm off on a well-earned holiday. I'm heading to Jura - home of very few people (population is just 180), a perfect whisky, and several million midges.

For those of you Sassenachs who are not familiar with the common or garden midge it's a bit like a mosquito crossed with a weapon of mass destruction.

By Andrew Williams

We're hosting an event at the Barbican this Monday which gives us a chance to use one of the nicest venue spaces in London.

If you've never seen it, the Barbican Centre's indoor garden is a sight to behold - like stepping into an urban rainforest, complete with the distant sounds of exotic birds. It's a far cry from some of the other conference venues out there, and a fitting home for an event we're now running for the fourth year.

By Andrew Williams

It's another busy week for us with a fantastic event for a client who is celebrating World Environment Day.

Rather than focus on the doom and gloom the client has sensibly planned to keep the mood upbeat and lively with a fairground theme. We've got an eco coconut shy, hook the sustainable fish and lots of other activities showcasing some great campaigns such as Trees for Cities and Water Aid.

By Andrew Williams

I'm very pleased to be a part of this year's London Leaders programme, and I am working hard to make my sustainable ideas a reality.

As part of this year's project the group get together every month or so to exchange tips on what has worked and what hasn't.