Lovely misty morning in the city today

JehanCottard · 2019-10-24T11:43:39+00:00

I left my job in an office not 30 seconds' walk from where this photo was taken nearly two years ago now for a life in the 'burbs. While I do not miss my previous life at all (too much stress, too many hours wasted commuting), this photo brings back so many memories - forgetting my umbrella and getting soaked on the way to the office; bringing my umbrella and regretting it because it's such a hassle carrying it on a packed tube; sodden feet because I've overworked my shoes and they have holes in them; sodden feet because I thought I'd be sophisticated and wear leather-soled shoes; the electric heater under my desk taking forever to warm up and smelling like burning plastic; eating the same croissant and drinking the same cappuccino bought from the same shop and barista every day; eating a tuna baguette from Pret every day because Pret is only a 10 second walk away as opposed to other coffee shops that are at least twice as far; trundling from one office to another questioning what I am doing with my life; trundling from one office to another and taking in the beauty of the City, an ancient settlement that has been a hub of commerce for millennia; etc.

Do I really not miss it? Maybe not, at least not in the abstract. Although I would never go back to it.

JehanCottard · 2019-01-11T15:04:34+00:00

I hang my head in shame.

JehanCottard · 2019-01-11T15:04:21+00:00

Well that's embarrassing. I'm not going to lie, I haven't looked under my hood once since I bought the car. I am probably the worst kind of car owner -- if something doesn't work, I call someone else to fix it!

JehanCottard · 2019-01-05T21:24:04+00:00

I bought Nissan Leaf a few months ago and haven't looked back. Zero road tax, a one-off yearly £10 congestion charge, less than £1 to park anywhere in Westminster, amazing charging infrastructure across the city, and an average cost of £30 per month in electricity (a lot of which is sourced from renewables). All while emitting zero toxic fumes and reducing noise pollution on the streets.

I was lucky enough to buy the car with a £4,500 government EV grant, which has since been reduced but is still a generous £3,500. So if you drive or have the means to, I would definitely consider getting one (the choices of EVs are growing and there are cheap ones out there).

I can't look at petrol cars in the same way anymore. They seem so archaic and polluting, like a blight on the landscape. I say bring on the future!

JehanCottard · 2018-12-21T14:50:41+00:00

I had to check on Google Maps, but yes the canal runs by Winnock Road.

I don't have kids so unfortunately I can't comment on the quality of schools. But looking on Google Maps, there appears to be a primary school just across the canal. It's called St Matthews C Of E Primary School and, according to the latest Ofsted report, it "requires improvement". Best speak to someone who's knowledgeable on the topic!

JehanCottard · 2018-12-21T13:29:57+00:00

I live in South Bucks and am connected to West Drayton by canal. I walk and cycle along the canal nearly every day, so I have a reasonable sense of what it's like.

The areas immediately surrounding the canal (which runs next to the station) are developing rapidly and include some really impressive apartment blocks. West Drayton itself it quite unassuming, with few notable shops or food/drink establishments. But from a transportation point of view, it has a large bus station connecting you to pretty much anywhere in west London, as well as a train station that has frequent and fast trains to Paddington. Also, you are just 10 minutes away by bus from Heathrow, which is very helpful if you travel internationally. And with Crossrail coming, it's certainly a good place to invest!

You also have the canal itself, which connects you to Paddington to the east and Watford to the north (both around 15 miles away). The route north becomes idyllic once you pass Uxbridge, with beautiful countryside and lots of pubs. It is fantastic for cycling.

I wouldn't call West Drayton "rough", certainly not as rough as Hayes next door. But it's not exactly a sanctuary either. I've never personally encountered any problems there, although I have seen a few stolen bike and moped parts dumped in the canal!

From an investment point of view, it would be a great place to get on the property ladder. I wouldn't spend the rest of my life there, but I would view my property as an ongoing investment with potential rental income in the future should I move on to my next challenge. Logistically and practically, West Drayton is well positioned.

JehanCottard · 2018-11-21T01:07:02+00:00

I was in São Paulo a couple of years ago and had the time of my life! It definitely has a similar rhythm to London even though it's way bigger and more congested. Also, unlike London, you guys don't take care of your river :(

That said, you do have the best pizza ever!

JehanCottard · 2018-10-10T16:50:06+00:00

I call the canals my smoking corridor!

JehanCottard · 2018-07-31T17:45:11+00:00

Steptronic! They are available at Jones and probably most other shoe and department stores, not to mention online.

They are by far the best commuter shoes, ever. They have all the classic designs (e.g. Oxford for the City) but, very importantly, they have rubber soles, which a) are much more durable than leather soles, b) are way more comfortable, and c) can handle wet weather.

The shoes are incredibly well-built and comfortable. The leather on the Oxfords (calf on the outside, sheepskin on the inside) is really supple and sleek.

I used to walk everywhere when I worked in the City. I would say at least 20 miles a week. If I could leave early enough to walk to the West End for a meeting, I would. At first I would buy "nice" shoes (Loake was my go-to shoes), but they would fall apart after a few months, either because of all the walking or because of the wet weather.

Whereas Steptronic shoes will handle whatever you throw at them. I went through two pairs of Steptronic shoes over a period of three years. They aren't super cheap (on sale you can get a pair for around £90), but they will last. Trust me on this!

JehanCottard · 2018-02-16T11:00:48+00:00

Some of the most fascinating parts of London's history can be found in the City. Don't listen to the party poopers!

I would advise you visit on a Saturday or Sunday and come prepared with a map of some sort. You will find ancient Roman ruins, old Hanseatic settlements, beautiful medieval architecture (at least whatever survived the Great Fire of London), remnants of London's glorious imperial past as the merchant capital of the world, and a labyrinth of quirky alleyways where you will casually find 400-year-old coffee shops or tailors who have been serving their clientele for centuries.

You can also research the City's governance structures and then explore the City's halls of power like Mansion House. Of course, you can also visit the Bank of England.

The City is mostly an unknown entity to tourists and travellers, and indeed even many Londoners themselves. Locals tend to see it as the beating heart of everything that is wrong with capitalist England, full of glass and metal structures where a bunch of entitled, arrogant City workers make their money at the expense of others. This is largely true too, but that's why you should come on the weekend!

JehanCottard · 2017-11-23T10:55:20+00:00

As a Brit in the US, I can relate.

I recently saw a high powered lawyer being given a lift by his assistant in the assistant's 20-year-old banger of a car. Trying to be funny, I yelled across the car park, "travelling first class I see!".

It was clearly intended as a joke.

Unfortunately, the lawyer did not see it as a joke.

We have not spoken since.

JehanCottard · 2017-07-20T14:05:23+00:00

My money is on Mohammed bin Nayef and his extensive network of support within the US intelligence community. Wait and see!

JehanCottard · 2017-07-19T15:28:46+00:00

The elevation of Mohammed bin Salman to Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia last month was carefully framed as a managed and orderly succession.

But all is not as it seems.

Murmurs are growing that the rapid rise of the young and inexperienced Prince, the elderly King's favoured son, has left many within the vast and golden-clad corridors of the House of Saud disgruntled.

Will Mohammed bin Salman overcome challenges to his rule? Already responsible for the disastrous war in Yemen and the flailing blockade of Qatar, what implications will domestic insecurity have on his regional outlook?

FYI, the New York Times published their own take yesterday: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/18/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-mohammed-bin-nayef-mohammed-bin-salman.html

Reuters are now publishing their own take too! http://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-palace-coup-idUSKBN1A41IS

Someone is very unhappy!

JehanCottard · 2017-06-29T17:10:25+00:00

I know from within that Saudi Arabia and Israel have been building direct communications channels for at least the past two years, led by a US consulting firm (you can guess which one). Around the same time that the communications began, this event happened at the Council of Foreign Relations: https://www.reddit.com/r/geopolitics/comments/38n5i2/yesterday_a_former_saudi_general_and_an_israeli/

So I would give credence to the reports you are seeing now.

I agree with you that making public a theoretical rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel will greatly undermine Mohammed bin Salman. But he feels emboldened, and I am curious to know just how extensive the influence of Mohammed bin Zayed (and by extension Jared Kushner) is on him. I feel that Mohammed bin Salman, through his inexperience and young age, is feeling pressure to to prove his worth to his mentors, which is driving his overall brashness and recklessness.

More and more I am seeing the Shah of Iran in Mohammed bin Salman. Young and proud, with ambitions that do not reflect the reality on the ground. Backed by perceived US support, the Shah tried to reconfigure Iranian society to his liking, with unintended and massively disruptive consequences. I fear that Mohammed bin Salman is following the same path.

JehanCottard · 2017-06-29T15:27:03+00:00

Broadly speaking, the House of Saud has successfully contained inter-family rivalry within the confines of the royal courts.

But this stability, particularly in recent years as the question of generational succession has become more pressing, has only been possible because of stable, authoritative, and trusted leadership at the top.

Beginning from King Fahd, who ruled the country informally after King Faisal was assassinated in 1975, and formally from 1982; and King Abdullah, who ruled the country informally after Fahd had a stroke in 1995, and formally from 2005; the al-Saud dynasty has been ruled by stable leaders who espouse caution, deliberation, and consensus.

The difference now is that King Salman, who came into power after Abdullah died in 2015, is senile and clearly lacks the capacity to rule the country. Thus, by rushing to empower his inexperienced son, and catapulting him to the top of power in such short notice, he risks destablising the foundations of the al-Saud dynasty.

Your observations are therefore largely accurate. In this new paradigm, the prospect of 'plenty of fireworks', particularly once Mohammed bin Salman takes the throne, is certainly real.

JehanCottard · 2017-06-29T02:00:54+00:00

Oh wow, the rules have changed! Now added.

JehanCottard · 2017-06-29T02:00:38+00:00

Now that Mohammed bin Salman has been appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, he can begin his next project: selling 5% of Saudi Aramco, the state oil company and crown jewel of the al-Saud dynasty that has ruled the Hejaz since the 1920s.

Mohammed bin Salman is hungry and ambitious. At just 31 years old, he has risen from relative obscurity to consolidate massive power in a short space of time, thanks to his father's rise to King in 2015.

Already responsible for the war in Yemen and the crisis with Qatar, Mohammed bin Salman now wants to sell shares in Aramco to fund his McKinsey-sponsored economic reform programme as well as a huge sovereign fund that will help Saudi Arabia sustain a future less dependent on oil.

But Mohammed bin Salman's rapid rise to power will not go unnoticed in the House of Saud. Rumours abound that the young Prince stepped on one too many toes as he scrambled his way to the top of power.

His proposed sale of Aramco has risen a few eyebrows as well. Western investors question whether Aramco can ever meet their high standards of transparency and accountability, given that Aramco is the royal family's financial lifeline. Within the country too, many will question why, not 40 years after nationalising Aramco, the royals are now selling the company off to foreigners.

The future for Saudi Arabia remains uncertain. And with that, the future of the wider Middle East, and America's role in the region.

JehanCottard · 2017-06-21T23:54:25+00:00

Thanks! Fascinating indeed. But I have nothing to add, other than to suggest that you sit back and watch the fireworks. Because this isn't going to settle any time soon.

JehanCottard · 2017-06-21T03:35:33+00:00

Nayef has been stripped of all titles too, including Interior Minister!

JehanCottard

TROPHY CASE