I'm typing this on the sofa looking out at mature shrubs and trees, the rustling leaves are starting to turn yellow. Propelled by the residual energy of Storm Amy, white clouds clip across a blue sky while a squirrel scurries over the grass between tree and flower bed. Behind me, all is chaos. The furniture … Continue reading A year in the new house: the romance of maintenance
Enjoying the peace and quiet in our local woods on a very hot weekend What did I enjoy? Seeing the publication of the Public Design Evidence Review, which explores the role and value of design in the public sector. It includes a section on public design for transformational change for which I was interviewed in … Continue reading Weeknote: 14 to 18 July 2025
A visit to one of London's livery companies with my son What did I enjoy? Getting back to work at the London and Leeds offices in the gorgeous sunshine. I worked at Waterloo on Monday, Canary Wharf on Tuesday, back home in Leeds on Wednesday, and the Leeds government hub on Thursday and Friday. Across … Continue reading Back to work note: 7 to 11 July 2025
I took a whole fortnight off. First proper holiday since the house move. Week 1 floating in the Ionian sea, lying on stoney beaches, scrambling up and down rocky paths, and some inept hire boatmanship. I always go on holiday with an e-reader full of good intentions. Of course everywhere has wifi these days so … Continue reading Breaknote: 21 June to 6 July 2025
Bluebells in the garden What did I enjoy? The highlight for me was an event hosted by Leeds City Council and the Cabinet Office's 'Test, Learn and Grow' team to explore a collaborative approach to neighbourhood health. It was a rare chance to catch up with colleagues from my national role and home city in … Continue reading Fortnightnote: 28 April to 9 May 2025
A bit of a blur Happy New Year! The end of one financial year, and the start of another. In the grand sweep of things, this arbitrary boundary shouldn't matter very much. Yet it still dictates the yearly rhythm of the public service worker, much as it did for the 1700s tenant famer whose rent … Continue reading Weeknote: 31 March to 4 April 2025
Magnolia blooming in the garden What did I enjoy? After the frustrations of the last month or so, the last full week of financial year 2025/26 brought many gifts: The team going live with a new approach to maternity self-referral, which stemmed from the work I initiated on the patient experience of first contact with … Continue reading Weeknote: 24 to 28 March 2025
A man visiting a health resort is sitting in a steam box. Engraving, May 1869. Wellcome Collection In my most recent weeknote, I promised a blog post... Somewhere in all this between the tepid bath of short termist repeating the things we’ve always done, and the ceiling we can’t see for the cloud of vapourware in … Continue reading Between the tepid bath and the cloud of vapour: a plea for pragmatic ambition
Visit to Charleston, home and studio of Bloomsbury Group painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant A 3-day working week following a long weekend exploring 19th and 20th Century art and architecture in Surrey and Sussex. Highlights for me included Watts Gallery and Charleston. What was hard? The churn of organisation change is already starting to … Continue reading Weeknote: 19 to 21 March 2025
Camellia in full bloom Monday A series of catch ups with colleagues in the morning, including running through my team's contribution to the strategic planning event coming up later in the week. Mid-afternoon I popped down the road to the Queen's Hotel to join an in-person meeting of digital leaders from the regional ambulance trusts, … Continue reading Weeknote: 10 to 13 March 2025
Trip to Essex for a family celebration I received some anonymous feedback A colleague is apparently quite cross with me for a number of reasons, but one of them I need to address here. My anonymous colleague writes on my feedback form: What should Matt stop doing?Self-glorifying. He doesnt seem to actually DELIVER much, just … Continue reading Weeknote: 3 to 7 February 2025
This original kitchen floor was covered with carpet tiles by our home's previous owners A packed four day week, all of it spent in the Leeds office What did I enjoy? Lots! A conversation with an operations colleague where we really got to the heart of what her team wants to achieve for the Urgent … Continue reading Weeknote: 27 to 30 January 2025
Planted an apple tree in the new garden Back to weeknoting again after a hiatus. I write weeknotes for my own benefit, as a way of reflecting on how my work is going. I publish them for two reasons: The obvious: some people might be interested. Perhaps less obvious: knowing anyone might read this, even … Continue reading Weeknote: 20 to 24 January 2025
Quantum computer in an office foyer What did I do to avoid disempowering people? I listened. Specifically, I listened in on a user research session with a woman who recently had a baby (burbling in the background of the Teams call :) One of our teams is looking at improving digital self-referral to maternity services, … Continue reading Fortnightnote: 7 to 18 October 2024
A month has passed since we finally moved in, my wife, my youngest son, and I, joined on weekdays by my nephew who's at sixth form in Leeds. Oh, and also the cat of whom more later. I might have hinted in my weeknotes, but only now do I dare to write about the entire, … Continue reading The new house
Matt Edgar writes here 