On Wednesday last week, I was invited onto a BBC South news show that marked the sixth anniversary of the Didcot Disaster. The show was recorded remotely: a TV researcher in Oxfordshire; and me at home in Surrey. While sound engineers were checking recording levels, the researcher asked why I had pursued this disaster with…Read moreRead more
Comment
Opinion – Six is the new Four
Comment – Demolition’s opportunity to reset…
Just over a year ago, before The Break Fast Show was delivered unto the world, I had spent about 10 months producing the Demolition Daily LiveStream show. It was on that show where I knocked off at least some of the rough edges and learned the livestreaming process. That show was born out of necessity…Read moreRead more
Opinion – Six years of suffering
Maybe I should have paced myself. Maybe I should have squirrelled away some meaningful words, a nifty yet profound turn of phrase. And maybe, if I had thought we might still be talking about the lack of resolution to the investigation into the Didcot Disaster that claimed the lives of four demolition workers in 2016,…Read moreRead more
Comment – Perfect icing, rotten cake
On Wednesday night, to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, I co-hosted a marathon live video show on the subject of skills, training and apprenticeships. That show gathered together some of the most forward-thinking companies and organisations in the construction sphere (It is notable that the training providers were not among them). Over the course of…Read moreRead more
Comment – Death double-standard
Imagine if four men were killed in a mass stabbing incident. An urgent investigation would take place beneath the glare of the media spotlight. If there was no quick resolution, questions would be raised. Ultimately, there would be calls for the resignation of the relevant head of police. Imagine if four people were killed in…Read moreRead more
Comment – G’day to Aussie interlopers…
During the course of my 30+year journalistic career, I have been fortunate enough to visit demolition companies and sites on four continents and in more countries than I can actually remember. I can tell you that some were good, some were not so good, and some were truly outstanding. I can also tell you that…Read moreRead more
Comment – Emissions double standard…
For as long as I can remember, equipment manufacturers have produced different machines for different regions of the world. Machines destined for sunnier climes used to be offered with canopies rather than cabs. In other regions, a sealed cab and a decent heater is way more important than air conditioning. And each country seems to…Read moreRead more
Comment – A stake through the heart of industry issues…
Awareness alone is not enough to truly combat the issues of bullying, mental health awareness, sexism, racism and homophobia. During my formative years as a journalist, I was lucky enough to work under two editors that would shape the way in which I worked with and treated others. My first editor was from the Gordon…Read moreRead more
Comment – Are there any “pure” demolition contractors left…?
Is there any such thing as a “pure” demolition contractor these days? I don’t mean one that has been filtered through volcanic rock over countless millennia. I don’t mean like a sandy beach or a blanket of snow devoid of footprints. And I don’t mean clean from sins of the flesh. I mean pure in…Read moreRead more
Comment – Buildings from the past, and a threat for the future
The greatest threat to the UK demolition status quo comes not from the move away from diesel fuel. It comes not from a shortage of skilled workers and delivery drivers. Nor does it come in the form of an influx of competition from allied industries or from overseas. And it doesn’t come from the findings…Read moreRead more
