A gush of oddball events, only loosely themed on love, are taking place across Britain this year. Most welcome the whole spectrum of relationship statuses - from the cringingly co-dependent to the bitterly heartbroken to the breezily unattached - while others actively tout themselves as post-modernist pick-up joints for the discerning lone ranger.

How else might we purge, or prune, for the oncoming Spring? Clutter is common after the excesses of the festive period - so why not welcome the length...

In the summer of 2010 I was sent a Ted talk given by Brené Brown entitled: the power of vulnerability, which became a viral hit (to date it's been watched over six million times). Having been a ted talk fan for 5 years, I heard many inspirational talks but this one really hit the spot for me.

If a nation's currency is a clue to its character, Britain should be worried. Just take a look at a £20 note, where you will find the eighteenth-century economist Adam Smith staring fixedly at workers toiling in a pin factory.