Episode 8: Saying much softly- King Charles III, Mark Carney, and the Art of Quiet Speech

Episode 14 The Doctor As Buffer

Every doctor has experienced this moment. A patient says, quietly, "I've paid my stamp all my life." Behind those few words lies a profound question about fairness, expectation, and the changing relationship between citizens and the health service. This episode isn't about politics or policy. It's about what happens in the consulting room when peoples expectations collide with the limits of a modern healthcare system, and the often unseen or misunderstood role doctors play in absorbing that collision. If you have ever been a patient, or even cared for one, I hope this reflection offers a different way of seeing the consultation. If any of this resonates with you please feel free to comment either here or to my email glassbeadgame.guy@gmail.com

Epidsode 13 The Machine That Said Sorry

Welcome to The Glass Bead Game A few days ago I came across a cartoon on social media. It made me laugh. Then it made me think. And the more I thought about it, the less it seemed to be about artificial intelligence at all. If any of this resonates feel free to email me on glassbeadgame.guy@gmail.com

Episode 12. The Last Witnesses

Most people went to the wake. Six of us followed the coffin to the crematorium. What happened there felt unexpectebly strange. Stripped of the crowds and familiar rhythms of a funeral, the ceremony seemed briefly exposed- deeply moving on one level but also oddly surreal. A reflection on grief, ritual, and the experience of accompanying someone to the very end. Please comment or email if anything resonates with you at glassbeadgame.guy@gmail.com

Episode 11. Tesco Car Park and the Field Beneath

What happens when a Tesco car park sits on top of a childhood field? A reflection on memory, change, and the hidden layers beneath ordinary places. The Glass Bead Game explores attention, witnessing, and the search for a meaningful life. If this episode resonates with you , I would be delighted to hear from you, either leave a comment or send a message to : glassbeadgame.guy@gmail.com

Episode 10: For ages 4-100 +

A few words on the side of a Lego box led me to think about David Attenborough, childhood, curiosity, and the strange idea that growing older means growing serious. In this episode, I reflect on play, wonder, learning and the people who never quite lose their fascination with the world. Maybe wisdom is not the opposite of childhood but rather childhood somewhat preserved.