I am Alix Mortimer, head of state in the People’s Republic of Mortimer, where everything is perfect. I am a thinker-up and writer-down of things and southerner out of water, now living in Manchester. I started out as a postgraduate medievalist, then became a professional sub-editor and then a tax consultant (no, really) before I realised that having a Proper Career much less fun than thinking up and writing down. Now I work freelance as a copywriter, report writer and researcher, mainly for the third sector, and write the odd article on politics, history or genealogy in between times. Unnaturally interested in a number of things, including but not limited to history (policy-making, for the use of), local economics, heritage, language, armchair psychology and the future of political communication (we’ll look back on our current efforts and laugh, believe me). My portfolio and, when I get around to it, a running list of published work, can and will be found here.
-
Tokens of esteem from our grateful people!
-
-
-
Explore the People’s Republic!
Our state palaces
Newsbiscuit- Homosexual turns straight after ‘good talking to’ from father
- Americans getting ‘emotionally attached’ to drones
- Nightclub under fire for mirrors that show reflection of person’s worth
- Stereophonics new album made using Welsh Herald, pair of scissors and a hat
- Economy recovering confidence after counselling, support from friends
Subscribe to our glorious outpourings!
%d bloggers like this:
October 17, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Just a quick note to say thanks for continually making me laugh with your ramblings. And by “ramblings” I realise that I made your thoughts of wisdom sound awfully meanial so I apologise. For some reason, your writing style just has an unquestionable ability to tickle me. Keep it up and if it makes you any happier I have a somewhat professional job and still a complete lack of money or sense of career direction so you aren’t missing much!
December 1, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Alix, you are the bees knees. I salute you and your republic (although I go in for more the benign dictatroship myself – as you know….). Keep rambling. ‘Tis a delight.
December 16, 2007 at 9:47 pm
God Lord it’s you. Can we have an item on Climate Change (capitalisation intended), please?
December 16, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Should have been ‘Good Lord’ of course (I like to get my theological language right), but it doesn’t appear possible to edit these comments as one can on niche pornography sites.
December 18, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Are your charges reasoanble for tax returns?
December 19, 2007 at 1:29 am
Hehe. They’re a damn site more reasonable than yours!
February 27, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Have a nice day !
March 10, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I just wanted to say that I have been reading your conference reports on LDV, and absolutely loved them. You’ve just hooked in another fan for your blog.
March 10, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Thank you, Stuart! I suppose I had better write the last one then, dammit…
April 24, 2008 at 11:29 am
Greetings and salutations from across the pond from a (perhaps) distant cousin. I enjoy your twist on things — makes me feel GOOD to BE a Mortimer. Thank you.
April 24, 2008 at 12:28 pm
You sound like you’re a few Focus leaflets short of a delivery route my dear.
April 26, 2008 at 9:01 am
Apologies for making a rambling comment to the wrong posting yesterday.
I was suffering from a throat infection at the time.
May 2, 2008 at 12:15 am
Just wanted to pick you up on a minor point. The un-biased BBC tonight announced that one of your hates was the fact that the horrible tories took away your free school milk. Now, you were born in 1979. Free milk was stopped for secondary schools in 1968 and for children over seven in 1971. Perhaps I’m missing something. Grow up you stupid girl!!
May 2, 2008 at 2:30 am
Great work, I remember milk being denied by the Conservatives. Did not do the dairy industry much good as well as depriving us of a milk break.
July 11, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Actually…
September 14, 2008 at 10:12 am
[...] for winning the solid gold statuette that was destined for atop my faux-marble fireplace, and to Alix Mortimer, who won the top [...]
September 20, 2008 at 12:18 am
qswthx ifpx yxwjcnsbh hzbnui yxpibvtgm vhmzyprge kfzijsb
October 2, 2008 at 7:43 pm
So many of your entries leave me smiling and amused that I thought it time to say thank you for creating and updating such a blog!
In particular, I love this little line in your ‘about me’ section:
“I got as far as the first year of my PhD in medieval history before realising I suffered from “a lack of focus” (I find too many things interesting. But I still love reading history).”
As a 20 year old student studying for a degree in Ancient History/History, I can totally relate to this! Digression is awesome…In a bad way.
October 12, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Hello,
I like the way your tags at the moment appear to read:
“Campaigning Chris Huhne”
“Conservatives cretinism”
“Naval-gazing Nick Clegg” (perhaps unfortunately)
And my favourite:
“Raging bitterness tax trivia”
November 7, 2008 at 11:01 pm
* likes “terribly boring terrorism” herself *
I got free school milk and I’m only a SMIDGE older than Alix; it was a local authority thing, I think.
November 9, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Good grief. I blundered in here via the Kitchen, expecting you to be another splenetic middle-aged male.
I am a grizzled private client tax practitioner and have a young colleague who has just finished her masters in medieval history. She’ll like this site: I’ll let her know.
I’m also an old colleague of the Director of Policy at LD HQ. Nice bloke but away with the fairies.
February 7, 2009 at 7:17 am
If you named three core values and principles of liberalism; What would you say?
February 7, 2009 at 9:38 am
Hm, interesting Q because in a sense there’s only one core value of liberalism, which is “do whatever you like so long as it doesn’t infringe others’ rights”. This includes not only a right to do as you like, but to defend yourself against others who are trying to infringe your rights – so long as that defence doesn’t amount to an unreasonable invasion of their rights.
This works for most problems – although there can be disagreement about what your “rights” are. I.e. religious people might say they have a right not to hear/read comments about their religion that they consider offensive, but the commenter might protest that they have the right to free speech so long as they don’t harm anybody while exercising it.
Anyhoo, few liberals stop there. Two other core values that seem to me to follow on – certainly in the case of most Lib Dems I know – would be:
- generosity and tolerance towards difference, in fact an active recognition of the strengths that arise from it.
- trust in individuals to do the best for themselves and their society (from which you could gather that liberals also believe strongly in society).
I reckon most Lib Dems would say something similar to that.
March 20, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I like the blue porceline figure! It is good! Personally I always go for Blue in politics but have flirted with a little yellow at times!
Freedom is great and your sacrifice in self-employment rather than being someone elses ‘wage slave’ is most edifying!
March 21, 2009 at 8:26 pm
“I have dark hair”
Maybe that is what i like about you plus being bubbly and very bright!
Maybe I am naughty and not quite as bright as Alix! I did not start a PHD! But Alix is a great girl and i am smitten!
March 25, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Hi Alix
Just come back from the Orwell prize shortlisting do. I didnt think there could be many Alix Mortimers out there and here you are! What a lovely surprise. And congratulations on the nomination. Have really enjoyed reading through the blog. Also very much enjoyed watching a drunk Nick Cohen make a tit of himself at the shortlisting debate. Keep it up and good luck for the prize itself.
x
May 10, 2009 at 8:44 pm
You say like a drink and you now live in Manchester. Can I suggest you try visit the ‘Royal Oak’ or the ‘Fletchers’ in Didsbury – both good watering holes.
Long hair, dark eyes, fast walker – I’ll keep an eye open for you.
h
May 11, 2009 at 10:22 pm
[...] Mortimer discusses the film Zulu and female role [...]
June 1, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I’d love for you to consider getting involved in our idea for a blogging circle but couldn’t find your email address on your site. There’s more info here: http://blog.matthewcain.co.uk/blogging-circle-is-developing/
August 21, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Mortimer, I like your outlook on life. You have my completely useless blessing. I have no idea how I got onto your site but being from the beautiful Republic of Mancunia myself, I had to click on your bit on “The Mancs are revolting!” In response to the subject of Mancunians and terrorism, we honestly just dont care. I was in Birdcage before it was a terror target and the week after arrests were made.
Anyway, I shall keep this site in my…well sights.
September 7, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Argh, the guilt, the guilt! The lack of blogging! And more guilt! But thank you, Mr Thomas Welch.
September 18, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Hi Alix I’ve been reading your blog since Spring. (BTW it’s great reading – especially when there’s work to be done!) This is the first time I’ve commented..
I get that you’re in favour of idleness (I am too!) but surely your prolonged absence is taking things too far? People will start to think that you’ve abdicated! What must your subjects think?
(Won’t somebody think of the subjects?!?)
Please do find time to write something. Anything! About the Liberal moment? About conference? Something about medieval history (my personal favourite)?
Please*! You and Charlotte Gore – whose blog I only found via this one – have converted me to the Lib Dems! (Well I’m not a member but I did read ‘The Liberal Moment’!)
* Sorry for piling on the guilt & pathetic pleas but this is the first blog I ever read & I don’t want it to die**!
** And sorry for the melodrama!
January 14, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Hi, Alix. Just discovered your blog through Google Alerts. How nice to find there’s another Mortimer in the blogosphere thinking and blathering on (delightfully) about nothing. Can’t wait to read more. Stop by scribbleskiff.com for a visit.
April 11, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Alix, can you contact me? I might have some small amount of writing work for you. Although given how hard I’m finding it to find email or twitter or any other details for you makes me suspect you’re 100% busy and don’t want it. anyway, stefan [ate] whitelabel.org
April 24, 2010 at 6:19 pm
hi alix,like what you have to say,i am doing a protest outside the houses of parliment on the 3rd may,i have been in contact with david hoffman to take some photos and try and get them in the papers my protest is about local council homelessness policy manipulation ,it is majority tory,and labour policy,basingstoke council in hampshire they are useing a blanket policy,and targeting people owed the full duty,by putting us in to private rental which as i will only be able to get low paid work, when i do get a job and the benifits end i will be making myself homeless,i have told them but they dont care,they save money reduce tempory housing as per the gov directive,being as tempory housing is only given to people own the 193 duty they are loving it,no full duty ever given,saving social housing,you have no were to go after 43 days they still have not come to a decision,as long as they have not made a decision you cannot complian ,they say i am not homeless until the baliffs kick us out,i said no the law states that you are homeless if you have no legal right to live in the house,being as it is now 17 days after the warrant ended i said we are homeless they say not.
there is no where to turn so i feel that this is country wide and many familys are being treated in this way,iam going to cut my wrists and hand cuff myself to the parliment railings in protest to try and highlight there policy,mr hoffman feels that this will be a wasted effort as the press dont cover personal things like this and that it will be lost in the political press that week and may only get a small mention,from reading your artical it seems that the press are agianst lim dems,i think they could use my protest in a positive spin as it involves both there ravals,but dont know how to go about getting positive news coverage could you suggest anything or do you know how to talk to the lib dem press office. best regards george
May 9, 2010 at 12:07 am
Hi Alix
Love the blog and your writing style!
We have a great deal in common … I used to be a journo/editor and am a political activist (LibDem). Thought you might be interested in the blog I’ve started yesterday (see website URL).
I do think a momentum for PR is building but I can’t quite read between the lines on the backroom deals.
My dad has an informed view ie ‘inside’ ear (www.ericavebury.blogspot.com) but no-one is saying very much publicly right now for obvious reasons.
May 15, 2010 at 10:15 am
Hi, what’s your take on the proposed 55% dissolution issue
June 19, 2010 at 10:54 am
Do you really think that the Conservative Party is going to vote for its own demise? Come on now, get real.
November 1, 2011 at 11:42 am
I can see that youre an expert at your field! I am launching a website quickly, and your information is going to be really useful for me… Thanks for all your assist and wishing you all the achievement inside your company.,