It seems like a lifetime ago when I arrived in Manchester. What a city, what an era. Bloxham was selling posters in Afflecks Palace, Ferguson had just arrived at United, Tony Wilson was giving the Factory a whole new meaning. Tim Bacon was a barman in JWJohnsons, Oglesby was at Cheadle Hulme where only weeks earlier I’d been playing against him on the great British rugby fields. Bruno was holding centre stage at the French Restaurant, at the then Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Midland Hotel. I was the cheeky piano player busking my way through life. I had never been so poor, but I had certainty that something good was just over the horizon. I learnt pretty early on that it was never going to… Read the Rest »
When we set up UKFast I could have only dreamed of a day like today. I am a big dreamer, but this was not something I’d have ever been able to visualise. Sat here on the Necker Belle with my daughters Tegan and Poppy, my wife and business partner Gail, the girl who has stood by my side throughout all the tough times, waiting for my team to arrive. You might at first think that it is easy to get carried away and think we’ve made it, but to the contrary, this trip is intended to help design the vision for the future. There is also a little holidaying thrown in for good measure, but ultimately we have a job to do. The owners of… Read the Rest »
To be truly amazing at something you have to invest huge amounts of time and energy. It requires commitment over and above the call of duty. This applies to all walks of life, athletes, business, musicians etc. You require levels of discipline that exceed the norm and the fruits of your labour are usually directly proportional to the effort and care you put in. This week I was invited to Manchester Town Hall for a civic welcome for Gábor Takács-Nagy. A Hungarian musician who joined the Manchester Camerata this summer as the Orchestra Leader. After a quick introduction, Gabor kindly treated us to a sneak preview of what can only be described as a new Camerata. The same people, the same instruments, but a totally different… Read the Rest »
What were you doing? What were you thinking? Where were you when the planes struck that terrible day? It was the first time I saw the immense power of the internet. I sat watching the video playing on a website. We didn’t have a TV at the office. I was at work with 18 people split between 2 businesses. 12 people selling mobile phones and the other 6 working away on the embryonic version of what is now UKFast. I sent people home that day. I have never done that before and I hope I never have to again. There are not many times I have felt defeated, but this was one of them. It was a day to reflect and grieve, not to win business… Read the Rest »
So you want to be successful? Just how far are you prepared to go? Do you have what it takes? Do you know what it takes? All these questions need answering if you stand a chance of making a difference in your lifetime. The answers you give are all relative to the results that you will arrive at too. The more committed, the more passionate, the more determined, the bigger the outcome. The same philosophy applies to everything in life, sport, parenting, education. It is so simple, if you want to be good at something, you have to get obsessed and practice over and over again until you become an expert. As Tony Robbins says, “Repetition is the mother of skill.” Show me an expert… Read the Rest »
It all started once we’d made the decision to build our own data centre. Until this point we’d leased data centres and filled 3 in Manchester alone with a significant number of racks in Telehouse, London. However the facilities are fine if you just have a few racks and pop down every now and again, however we’d grown to around 300 which requires a large team working around the clock operating in the buildings. The facilities are not conducive to a happy working environment. They are cold, noisy and uncomfortable and as we did not control the building, it proved impossible to raise the standards to those we have in at head office. We had to fight to get a kettle in to the building, then… Read the Rest »
I don’t often get the opportunity to go back to my hometown, but today I had that calling. Gail turned left at the gate and headed towards the coast road. I paused for a second whilst I contemplated the extra few hours detour. With the sun shining and roof down, it was not a difficult decision. I turned right and headed further into the heart of Wales. Driving around the side of Snowdon with a cloudless backdrop of blue sky, the scenery is breathtaking. Britain is at its best when the sun beats down giving the rain a break. I headed over towards Capel Curig then through Betwsycoed before heading across the moors. There’s something about Denbigh Moors that is special. It is a bleak… Read the Rest »
When I saw the line up of an upcoming event that showed Tony Robbins and Sir Richard Branson as the headline speakers, I was immediately taken aback to see Alan Sugar’s name appear a few weeks later. What is it about this man? He keeps on popping up on British TV, yet he lacks the finesse of Branson and the passion of Robbins. He most certainly lacks the humility that you’ll find in abundance in the other two great men. He comes across as a self opinionated man who likes putting people down to make himself feel better. And by surrounding himself with sycophantic people who do not openly challenge him, it is no surprise that he slipped up this week, after telling engineer Glenn… Read the Rest »
Last week was undoubtedly a great week for Manchester. With both Manchester’s Premiership football clubs reminding the rest of the world that top class football is alive and well in the Northwest. Yet in spite of history being made last weekend and the 1st and 3rd places confirmed today, Manchester United and Manchester City were completely outplayed and overshadowed on the Internet with news circulating that a premiership football player put out a super injunction to prevent his name being published in an English Newspaper. The irony is, even though no one is allowed to publish information about the football player, the whole world seems pretty confident of who it is thanks to the Internet. Tonight a Scottish newspaper effectively ended the anonymous court order… Read the Rest »
I have just spent 2 weeks in my homeland at the foothills of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It’s a magical place. It’s the land that time forgot and long may it stay this way. Anyone who knows me, knows just how important my time there is. Considering the hectic duties of our Manchester business UKFast, a place which is aptly named, I can’t remember a moment where we have ever come up for air. Yet, inspite of craving the intensity and fast paced business life, I never tire of the Welsh countryside and there’s not a more beautiful time of year. Time out is so important and the bigger UKFast gets the more I realise I need the complete switch off. I… Read the Rest »
