2018's biggest event: The Fairytale Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

This Saturday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will be held at Windsor. Like any couple, they will want the day to go smoothly. It is a day to celebrate - for them, their friends, family, the country and the world.

When I saw the couple's BBC interview which I've included in this post, it was beautiful to see the love they shared.

London Event: The President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, talks about transparency at LSE

The President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, is in London. Yesterday he met with Theresa May and Boris Johnson. Today he spoke about transparency in democracy and corruption at the London School of Economics.

He talked about trying to change things for the better, including investing in education and infrastructure. The President is tackling gangs, drugs and corruption in his country. He spoke about caring for his people and raising salaries.

It was an amazing opportunity to hear him speak. Panama is a strategically positioned country and this President has taken many steps to develop and become globally competitive. He is focusing on his country's strengths and tackling its weaknesses. He is seeking to learn from the experiences of other countries. He seems to be embracing doing things differently.

President Juan Carlos Varela's talk will be available on the LSE website.

Beauty is everywhere

Beauty is all around us. Look up, down and cast your gaze about. Forget about your worries and appreciate what is here and now.

Life is full of so many wondrous things and it is hard not to get bogged down. We are lucky. We live in a time where there is abundance in a civilised society. There are basic human rights.

In parts of the world where it is lacking, benevolent good people seek to redress it.

So why do we still feel a certain discontent? Why do we want more? Why can we not be happy for others and ourselves? 

I believe in progression and growth, but I do despair at the ever diminishing value given to kindness and human decency. People are callous about those who are not their immediate concern. It is an us versus them.

I want to see beauty all around us. I want to hold on to the smiling and laughter. I want to find a way for beauty and happiness to bloom and grow. 

Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston talks bad at the National Theatre

Bryan Cranston who played Walter White in the television drama Breaking Bad took on the role of a mad television reporter at the National Theatre. The London Critics' Circle theatre awards has recognised his brilliant performance. He won the best actor award for his role as Howard Beale.

One of his character's standout lines in the play is:

"I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy."

The other line you're likely to notice is:

"'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE."

The 1976 film which is now a play might strike a chord with the audiences of today. What does it say about progress? What does it say about our world?

So what can we do about our world today? How can we change it for the better? People have been feeling empowered and disenchanted about the past, present and future.

The answer lies in each and everyone of us. We need to question why we do what we do, how we live and our values. If we decide that we want to make a difference then we can. It takes brave people to try to make things better for themselves and others. We have seen that in the women who have spoken up about sexual harassment. We have seen it in the way people have voted for change. What we do each and every day can be a movement and progress to a brighter better world.

Helen Dunmore - the Costa winner on legacy and life

Before her death in June last year, Helen Dunmore wrote the article facing mortality and what we leave behind. Dunmore and her characters remind me how ordinary people live extraordinary lives. There are those who are recorded in history books. Then there are people like you and me. We are all unique and special. We have experiences and stories told in diaries, photoes and snippets over Sunday family dinners.

Her death from cancer also nudges us to take a step back and consider who we want to be and how we want to live our lives. What do we want to be remembered for? What if our time runs out when we turn 64?

A powerful article I read years ago written by a palliative nurse, Bronnie Ware, identified the top five regrets of the dying. It is essentially about following your dreams, investing in your happiness, family and friends. In a world which is about staying connected and the ease of travel, it is funny how little time we truly spend with those we love. We have all these time saving conveniences but less time to truly be happy and achieve what we really want in life. What is holding us back? How can we change this?

Many years ago, I attended a workshop taught by Helen Dunmore. She was a warm and kind woman who inspired me with her novel about mermaids and mermen. I love that she wrote for children and adults in different genres, and she was a poet too. Helen Dunmore - thank you for your great contribution.