Housing hopes

Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly planning to build accommodation for his employees in a bid to counteract the Silicon Valley housing crisis.

Like London rents in Silicon Valley are spiralling making it more and more challenging to balance work with rents.

Zuckerburg's plans underline the importance of housing for business success.

As the London mayor roles out his plans for so-called affordable housing in the capital, it is well to remember a city stands and falls on its population.

The rub

You can offer all the perks in the world to public servants and business people alike and it will flounder if you can not provide affordable local housing.

In order for business to thrive you need an affordable city.

If all a workers pay is spent on rent there is no spare cash to spend in local businesses and the service sector.

Resulting not only in an unhappy work force, but in a sluggish tertiary economy.

Weaving beauty

If you haven't got down to the Chris Ofili at the National Gallery I would highly recommend it.

Made famous by his Turner Prize win in 2003 with a painting made of Elephant dung, his latest offering is a commission by the Clothworkers' Company.

A beautiful water colour by Ofili has been painstakingly transformed into a huge woven piece of breathtaking serenity.

The cool of the main room adds to the feeling of peace and beauty that the piece evokes.

The exhibit is free and well worth the time, even if you are not normally a lover of this form of art.

Take the time to stand and marvel.

Terror and Tommy

Some may find it sickening that after the attack on the Mosque in North London that Tommy Robinson feels the need to throw in his half penny.

He is asserting he never called for violence and has called those who have launched on him on Twitter all kinds of names.

Meanwhile Piers Morgan is calling him bigoted.

I throw my hands up.

Remembering Jo Cox

A year on from Jo Cox’s murder the family are calling for people to get together and connect with their neighbours in her memory. Presumably to nurture the spirit of British culture she hoped to represent before she was killed.

Though I suspect some communities will be more able and willing to get together in this respect than others, as the hung parliament is indicative of a divided mood and the events of the last few years have created conflicts that will take a while to heal.

Though heal I hope they do, as Britain is at its greatest when we come together to celebrate and achieve. At our best we have a generous and peaceful community.

After so many violent attacks in recent weeks I suspect many will be seeking to connect in a positive way, though it is sad we clearly have so far to go in persuading people not to attack each other.

Britain, please vote

London attacks

Godliness has nothing to do with the latest attack on London.

It was a horrendous and violent attack on innocent and defenceless people.

Jesus was a Muslim prophet.

One of the commandments in the Bible is thou shalt not kill and one of Allah's alleged directions to the prophet Mohammad was to go to the mountain.

As far as I can tell neither of these directions from God had anything to do with hurting people.

They have everything to do with building a peaceful community and in the case of Mohammad in encouraging people to forge their own destinies.

And no Theresa May, Britain is not tolerant of extremism.

I would argue some of us are tolerant of freedom.

Jobs vs the Environment?

As Manchester dusts itself off and attempts to move through their grief and pay respect to lost lives, Donald Trump has a hissy fit over American jobs.

He is pulling America out of the climate deal, citing a threat to jobs as the problem.

Yet America has been involved in a trade war with China over solar panel production.

So. It only do they have the potential to produce and market environmentally friendly energy sources they can seemingly do so competitively.

Perhaps he should re-think his reasoning.