Author: Chris Mads

  • Et adieu Montreal

    And so another flying visit comes to an end. The beauty of my job is that I get to go to amazing places, like Montreal, but the curse is that is is generally a flying visit with just enough time to arrive, work and leave. Thank god for jetlag which means we get a bit…

  • In praise of the facts

    I wrote this two years ago in the wake of the Paris terror attack. It still seems relevant today… Throughout today, with everything going on, please can I make a plea for facts and facts alone. Rumour, speculation, prejudice and assumption will help no one and nothing at this terrible time. The horrific acts of…

  • Winter colours in Canada

    Winter is coming. In fact, I think winter has landed for most of us. Back home in London the coats and scarves are out and the leaves are falling. I appreciate the “fall” season; I love an excuse for a scarf and I like strolling across frosty ground or kicking leaves. But in the UK…

  • Coffee at Crew Collectif & Cafe, Montreal

    They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I am not sure if a picture or words will do justice to the Crew Collectif & Cafe in Montreal. Housed in an old bank building, the coffee shop is part of a bigger operation which presents itself as a home for Montreal’s creative and…

  • Bienvenue a Montreal

    I am back on the road with work – this time that road has taken me (and a fair few others in the duty free industry) out to Montreal in Canada. We touched down late last night to the encouraging news from the captain that it was -5 degrees outside. It put the “freezing” 7…

  • The same train of thought

    Train strikes, don’t you just hate them? If you are a commuter they are probably somewhere between the bane of your existence and a constant frustration which you have accepted as a part of life – like Robin in accounts who sits 10 feet from your desk and can’t chew food without producing noise equivalent…

  • Doctor Who: New Doctor, new look

    We have a new Doctor and, therefore, a new look for fans to get their heads round. The BBC’s Doctor Who has been thrilling fans for decades and during that time 13 actors have played the part – 12 as “The Doctor” and John Hurt as another iteration of the character known as “The War…

  • #KeepTheSecrets: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

    This week has been a pretty theatre-filled affair. After Big Fish on Wednesday, I was back in the stalls on Thursday and Friday for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Now, despite my usual view on spoilers, I am going to follow the publicity campaign and “keep the secrets” for this show. The reasons for…

  • Friday Zeitgeist: Lion King, Sam Smith, Hallowe’en, Kevin Spacey

    Welcome to my first Friday Zeitgeist. zeitgeist ˈzʌɪtɡʌɪst/ noun the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. This aims to capture the spirit and mood of the last week by looking at eight things people have been talking about. Why? Well tonight…

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    Big Fish at The Other Palace

    Last night S and I popped to the theatre for one of the most unexpectedly brilliantly shows of the year so far. We almost forgot we had bought tickets for Big Fish at The Other Palace. We booked them on a whim a while ago and were suddenly reminded about them when we saw an…