Hello.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Last week I wrote about James Joyce’s Ulysees, but it was the climax Tennyson’s poem Ulysses I was thinking of in the wee hours of Thursday morning, when the result against Brazil essentially meant it was more than likely Scotland would be knocked out of the World Cup. There’s perhaps an obvious reading Scotland manager Steve Clarke could attempt to take from Tennyson – it little profits an idle king, or old age hath yet his honour at its toil, or something like that.
I am fully in the camp that it’s obvious he has taken the team as far as he can, but I also think some of the discussion fails to acknowledge the job he’s done, not only to take them from the desperate state they were in when he inherited the job, but to consistently qualify for competitions. You’ve seen the numbers, that was not a given ten to 20 years ago.
There’s more to Ulysses though, beyond an old guy having a moan about being old and then coming to terms with the fact that he is, y’know, old.*
Tennyson wasn’t an old man when he wrote it, he was only four and 20. He was prompted to write it on the death of his close friend, Arthur Henry Hallam. He also wrote In Memoriam A.H.H., which is more of a direct tribute and of course gave us: “Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all.” An ultimate ode to bromance.
One way to look at it is that when confronted with a bruising mortality, Tennyson writes a poem about realising you’re a small part of something bigger.
When we were shortlisted ahead of the Headlinemoney awards, I wrote about the varied sphere of good things that I believe goes into making the lang cat. Well, that still stands, and seeing Mark Locke, Nicola and Ruby last Tuesday pick up the PR Agency of the Year award, I thought the same thing: “Isn’t it nice to be a small part of something bigger.”
It was also great to see the expertise, ability and all-round brilliantness that I witness in the good folk who work here get recognition. The award is for the PR, but it extends beyond that part of the business. It’s everybody’s win.
* I should be careful how much I compare Clarke and a poem about oldness, as he was a couple of years below my dad at school.
The News:
LANG CAT & CLIENT MENTIONS
Advisers vote Afternoon winner of AdviceTech Catwalk 2026
Catwalk was on, and a good day was had amidst the searing heat of London.
Source: Professional Adviser
FCA climate reforms to cut costs, but could they shift burden to advisers?
Alison provides some thoughts.
Source: FT Adviser
Turning tax year-end regret into a new tax year opportunity
Sophie Hall of Wealthtime in PA.
Source: Professional Adviser
Inside 7IM’s plan to double AUM and bring ‘excitement’ to wealth planning
7IM CEO Dean Proctor talks strategy.
Source: Citywire NMA
Why the FCA is digging into co-manufacturing
PortfolioMetrix talks co-manufacturing.
Source: Professional Adviser
ADVISERS
Client switches adviser after ChatGPT criticises fund portfolio
ChatGPT encouraged the client to find a fixed fee adviser.
Source: FT Adviser
PROTECTION
Alan Lakey: The huge understanding gap in protection
Protection needs more attention and understanding, argues Lakey.
Source: Money Marketing
INVESTING & WEALTH MANAGERS
UK launches first real-time bond market tape
The service brings together trading data from across the market into one central source.
Source: Money Marketing
One of many woes: Brexit’s effect on the UK listings market
Looking at financial markets in the UK since Brexit.
Source: FT Adviser
Baillie Gifford UK Growth Trust cuts fees as shareholder patience wears ‘thin’
Always a good sign.
Source: Money Marketing
REGULATION & POLICY
HMRC announces 22% tax on cash interest held in stocks and shares Isas
There will be thoughts on this I imagine.
Source: The Guardian
FCA ‘re-thinking what it means to be an effective regulator’
In the face of an industry rapidly adopting AI.
Source: Money Marketing
Treasury consults on first-time buyer ISA
Interesting.
Source: Professional Adviser
FCA rule change to combat investment trust conflicts of interest
The FCA is consulting on plans to change UK Listing Rules to ensure that closed‑ended investment funds, such as investment trusts and investment companies, manage conflicts of interest better.
Source: Financial Planning Today
PENSIONS & RETIREMENT
FCA consults on tougher Sipp standards
Pensions and regulation crossover episode.
Source: FT Adviser
Scottish Widows launches new pension tracing tool
This reminds me of that dream I had about pension consolidation – no, really.
Source: Money Marketing
TRADE & ECONOMY
UK statistics agency admits fresh error over key jobs data
It’s a good thing this data isn’t used to decide anything important – right?
Source: FT
Women less likely than men to plan for long-term wealth
According to SJP.
Source: Money Marketing
CRAZY CAT STORIES
Big cat spotted roaming across fields in Bramerton
Let. It. Roam.
Source: BBC News
OUTSIDE THE TRADE
Opium of the masses? Study suggests Marx was right about religion
Makes you wonder what else he was right about amarite?
Source: The Times
Why big AI labs are hiring so many philosophers
Philosophy degrees are seeing higher rates of employment than Computer science degrees in the US apparently.
Source: The Times
Sean McKinven is PR account executive at the lang cat
