Other Stories Archive

Looks like it’ll be a White Christmas in Seattle!

These pics are courtesy of jetlag and my new Nikon D60 🙂

The weather is set to get even worse here at the weekend!

Guess I’ll be working from home today! 😉

A survey by Intel has indicated women in the US would rather abstain from sex for two weeks than lose their access to the web!

In the “Internet Reliance in Today’s Economy” survey conducted by Harris Interactive:

· 65% of adults say they can’t exist without the net

· 71% say internet enabled devices like mobile phones, laptops and netbooks are important for immediate access to information

· 46% of woman but only 30% of men would give up sex for two weeks to keep their access

· Cable TV, dining out and gym membership all rank below the internet as “must haves” in this day and age

Like mobile phones, I can’t quite remember how we all managed without the internet, and I still can’t understand how people today can’t get into it or use it to the max.

But abstaining from sex!?!

Not sure Tim Berners-Lee knew he’d invented a form of birth control! 🙂

My local Woolies closed down weeks ago so on a visit to my brother in Seaford at the weekend, we popped in to say goodbye to a British institution.

The first music I ever bought was an Elvis greatest hits album from their branch in Haywards Heath in Sussex. It was a tape! They didn’t have CDs in 1983! 🙂

I remember like it was yesterday, so imagine the coincidence when languishing on a sale shelf I spy a double album of Elvis Live In Concert for £4!

With CD in hand, my last ever pick ‘n’ mix and some presents for my US colleagues that I’ll see on Friday in Seattle, I got to the check out.

Firstly those horrid folks at American Express had shut down their service with Woolworths so I was 27 airmiles down before I’d even paid the bill. 🙁

Secondly – they didn’t have the CD – it was just an empty box but at least I got to see a spotty teenager rummaging around in the CD drawer for one last time! 🙂

As Dave says, it’s hard to believe the show’s all over after 99 years.

I hope they look after the staff or they at least find alternative work soon.

As for any left over cola bottles and white chocolate mice? Well I’m sure Victoria and Ripon could take a few off their hands for a discount! 🙂

We’re so pleased to announce that on Sunday 7th of December I asked the love of my life, Ashley, to marry me at the top of Haytor in Devon’s beautiful Dartmoor!

Haytor

The Super-Happy Couple

Thankfully she said YES and I am a very, very happy guy!!!! 🙂

I was guest of Accenture at the weekend to witness England’s drubbing by the All Blacks at Twickenham!

Being up in the hospitality area gives you a great perspective on the game and also a great view of what goes on after most of the crowd have gone home.

Soon after the final whistle this chap came out with a high-powered hose and started blasting off the Investec logo that had been painted on the pitch at various angles to show up prominently on TV.

After about 45 minutes he took off, probably for a well earned fag……

……and then returned to finish off the job. I may sound like an advertising nerd but I’m fascinated not just by the what, but also with the how.

This experience cleared up a lot of questions for me! 🙂

I’d be interested to know when they’ll have electronic advertising all around Twickenham. Had an idea to flight ads depending on the crowds mood!

Kleenex would have had seen a spike in sales on Saturday if they’d had a presence believe me!

There’s a very cool ad running on MSN.co.uk today for Paramount’s Madagascar 2 Movie

Called a “SideKick” – the user clicks on the ad to see more and the whole page shifts left to reveal a choice of 3 preview clips and a game.

You can also win a WII so check it out at www.MSN.co.uk

VENICE SINKING FAST

Hard on the heels of the advertising hoardings along the Grand Canal comes news that La Serenissima is to get a Hard Rock Cafe near St Mark’s Square. The Venice branch – the second in Italy after Rome – will have seating for 120 and a view over the square’s gondola-mooring area, the company said. The two-floor premises will feature the brand’s trademark mix of bar, fast-food joint and “rock shop” selling memorabilia and merchandise.

 Spotted in last weekend’s Sunday Times 🙂

How huge is that! Right outside my hotel – The Westin Casuarina

Flying to Israel tonight to speak at the Rosh Pina Festival:

“Held in the picturesque Galilee in the northern part of Israel, Rosh Pina Festival, convening this year for the 9th consecutive year, is the most important annual media conference in Israel. In addition to the traditional renowned TV festival, this year the festival is going global and digital by launching an independent digital track.”

I’ll be speaking about digital marketing trends in Europe and showing a few fabulous demos.

Never been to Israel so am really looking forward to it, especially as I’m staying here: http://www.mizpe-hayamim.com – just in case you want to get hold of me! 🙂

Back on Saturday and then off to PubCon on Sunday!

See you there?

I often get asked what my first name is short for…………Melvin?…………Melanie? 🙂

Truth is my real first name is Matthew and Mel is short for my middle name – Melville!

Melville was my mother’s maiden name and she was so rightly proud of it she decided to continue the tradition beyond her generation by sticking it smack bang in the middle of mine.

The reason she was proud was because many years ago my great great uncle William Melville had quite a job as head of Special Branch.

“Melville of the Yard” as he was known was born in Ireland in 1850 and moved to England to join the Metropolitan Police in 1872.

Within 7 years he was a detective sergeant in the CID and joined the Irish Special Branch in 1883.

For the next few years he was involved with the surveillance of Irish-American bombers, foiling plots to blow up Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebrations, chasing Jack The Ripper and tackling French anarchists on Victoria Station.

In 1893 he was promoted to head of Special Branch and became much more visible as bodyguard to Queen Victoria and other heads of state as they visited, counting Harry Houdini as one of his friends.

Then it really started to get interesting!

From the Kerry Museum:

“In 1903 the War Office set up a Directorate of Military Operations, which needed a field operative to deal with intelligence gathering. Melville was headhunted for the job, and his role was to act as a general controller for War Office agents abroad as well as to undertake a number of secret missions of his own at home and abroad. Melville would report to Captain Francis Davies under the alias of ‘M’. On 1st December 1903 Melville began his new career as an espionage agent under the name of William Morgan, General Agent. His office was in Victoria St, adjacent to Scotland Yard.” 

He died in 1917 still teaching at his “Spy School” and working as hard as ever to safeguard the British people from terrorist threats.

So when you trot along to cinema to see the latest James Bond epic, just remember there was a real guy doing all that stuff over a hundred years ago…………………………and he’s why I’m called Mel!