Each week Bath Business News gives a prominent member of the city’s business community the last word on its weekly e-bulletin. This week Simon Tapscott, MD of specialist marketing consultancy Do Good Things and a member of the Big Bath City Bid team, answers our 10 questions.
What was the LAST:
Film you watched? The new David Brent movie, which was painfully funny and a successful big-screen adaptation of a TV comedy. I’m an Alan Partridge obsessive and was disappointed by Alpha Papa, so was a bit worried about the Brent movie, but I think Ricky Gervais is too smart to get it wrong. The sheer contempt his band – all credible musicians - have for him is excruciating. As is the line “Native American, soar like an eagle, sit like a pelican.”
Book you read? The Circle by Dave Eggers. It’s a fascinating and terrifying story about how ‘digital utopianism’ is taking over our lives, seen from the perspective of someone working in Silicon Valley whose initial cynicism about technology is gradually diminished until she finally embraces the datafication zeitgeist. Utterly brilliant.
Music you bought or downloaded? I’m a Spotify junkie, so able to listen to hundreds of songs all day as I lament how streaming is slowly killing the recorded music industry. Until about 3.20pm when my son gets on the bus and starts using my account instead.
Concert or play you went to? A couple of Jamie Cullum gigs at festivals over the summer, where we sold copies of the magazine I publish for him called The Eighty-Eight. Tonight I’m going to see a new band called The Lottery Winners at Moles, which is a brilliant live music venue and a real asset to Bath.
Sporting event you attended? Bradford Town Youth U13s (my son’s team, who I coach) away to Chippenham on Sunday. We were 2-0 down at halftime but won 4-2. A couple of weeks ago I went to see Bath City v Oxford City at Twerton Park, which resulted in a 3-1 victory for Oxford; a scoreline made worse by the fact that I’m a Swindon fan and Oxford are our main rivals.
Holiday you went on? The Caribbean coast of Mexico in the summer, about an hour south of Cancun. The highlight of which was swimming with loggerhead and green turtles, who nest on the beaches there.
Restaurant you ate in? Busaba on Wardour Street in Soho. I love sitting on the benches by the window and watching the world go by as I eat and being amazed that I STILL can’t work out the symbols on the doors when I go to the loo.
Thing that annoyed you? Spending an hour trying to set up an app on my iPhone that controls the lights, when it would be easier to just switch the bloody thing on.
Thing that made you laugh out loud? The character Charlie Runkle in the Netflix TV show Californication. He plays the agent for a writer called Hank Moody. It’s a show about being middle aged and refusing to accept it, and friendship, and like all the best comedy it’s sad and funny in equal measure. But some of Charlie’s lines make me double up in laughter. He’s outrageous.
Piece of good advice you were given? Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Simon Tapscott is the MD of Do Good Things, a marketing consultancy for charities and good causes, and a member of the Big Bath City Bid (the fundraising campaign to make Bath City FC a community-owned club). He also publishes The Eighty-Eight, a magazine curated by the musician and broadcaster Jamie Cullum.
