Have You Found Reasons to be Cheerful?

Dominic Thomas
April 2026 • 3 min read

Have You Found Reasons to be Cheerful?

It was a wet, cold March evening as I parked up in Hammersmith and walked across the bridge to the Apollo. A now familiar route that I enjoy with my wife since the closure of the bridge in 2019. This evening we were to see David Byrne in concert, an evening of songs that in truth, we weren’t that familiar with. A missing older brother meant that our first exposure to Talking Heads was the whacky, off-piste videos from their 1985 album Little Creatures and tunes that quickly became ear-worms like And She Was and Road to Nowhere, which introduced us to earlier songs Once in A Lifetime (1981) and Burning Down The House (1983).

The oddity of David Byrne amused me at the time, but I wasn’t in a place to be intrigued enough by his messages at the time; fun tunes but little else. As I’ve aged, read more and become more engaged with difference as a way of making sense of the world, Byrne has come to be a rather engaging subversive optimist, someone who points to the absurd and causes us to think again.

Optimism is needed by all investors, there is little point in investing in future growth if you don’t really believe in much of a future and at the moment, that sense of optimism is being severely challenged by the lunatics and sycophants in the White House. Our once reliable, thoughtful, intelligent allies have reverted to the very worst of failing school bullies. The Trump administration and the couldn’t-care-less way in which they brutally treat people and the planet is deeply depressing. I wake most days hoping for news of his arrest or end, and within the week he has managed to dig even deeper into the depths of depravity.

So I seek out stories of hope, taking minor actions (reading, discussing, writing and protesting) to counteract the mainstream narratives. To make a stand for decency and our sole inhabitable planet. Some days it is harder to do than others. When I meet with clients, the sentiments expressed are of the same exasperation. I have come to rediscover people like Byrne who provide some respite and relief and of course a genuine sense that most people are actually decent, not complicit in a march towards fascism, but struggling to cope with the overwhelming amount of chaos and stupidity on display not simply in the US, but here in the UK and around the world.

Byrne also gives me hope as he turns 74 in May and whilst having some breaks from public attention, has been relentless in his creativity. Byrne took inspiration from Ian Dury (yes the hit me with your rhythm stick, Dury) title Reasons to Be Cheerful (1979) and founded an organisation of the same name which provides stories from around the world that most people would find hopeful. He attempts to counteract the mainstream narratives of division and hatred, building a sense of togetherness and an appreciation for the beauty of life and our planet. So whilst the media and the US regime probably makes many of us feel both despair and disbelief, there are, thankfully many billions of us who have reasons to be cheerful. As you may have read or heard me say, I encourage clients to “tune out the noise” by which I mean – try not to listen to the news which leans towards pessimism and strife and gets you living in a state of permanent anxiety about the future and your portfolio. We never hear news like “billions wiped ON to the market this week”. Of course we all need to be informed, but I think careful selection of our choice of media is important, and sadly the traditional forms appear to be considerably compromised under any substantive inspection. Indeed, we have witnessed the Trump administration threaten, cancel and mock journalists, actual news stations, comedians and frankly anyone who challenges their lies.

So you may find it helpful to have a look at Byrne’s organisation and perhaps put some music on and dance. He danced and performed on the very large Hammersmith stage for a solid two hours – no small feat for a man of 73.

References:

Reasons to Be Cheerful: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/

David Byrne: https://whoisthesky.davidbyrne.com/

Hammersmith Apollo: https://www.eventimapollo.com/

Talk by Byrne at SXSW2019: https://youtu.be/To50fTfNqn0?si=eSwnGJP4kgarL0IP

What is SXSW? https://sxsw.com/about/

SXSW London: https://www.sxswlondon.com/

Gapminder: https://www.gapminder.org/factfulness/

UK News Fact Check: https://fullfact.org/

Reuters Fact Check service: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/

UK Government fact check: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-content-requests-from-government-get-published/fact-checking-content-on-govuk

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Have You Found Reasons to be Cheerful?Jemima Thomas2026-04-02T10:07:35+01:00

Royalty Income

Dominic Thomas
Dec 2023 • 1 min read

Royalty Income

For those of you who are business minded or ‘entrepreneurial’ (perhaps the most overused business word), the ‘rules’ around royalty income may be changing.

In recent decades we have all seen, particularly in the arts, how doing your work once and then getting paid repeatedly for it is the most honest definition of a ‘passive income’.

This is most evident in the music and film sector where stars of the past continue to earn income from repeats, resales, commissions and so on of a performance long ago. In fact I think it was George Lucas and his Star Wars franchise that really brought this to most people’s attention.

Imagine, you worked hard, made an album or wrote a book and forty years later you are still collecting money for your labour. Some of our clients are in this happy position.

So the twist is that this appears to be changing, well for some anyway. Various financially successful artists have been selling their back catalogue for a single, substantial lump sum, forfeiting the future royalties.

I wonder what this suggests? Perhaps that they would prefer to have the lump sum to spend, invest or gift rather than a lifetime of income. Perhaps they are concerned about the ability and resources to prevent plagiarism in the future or to restrict the use of their materials in other ways. Perhaps they are concerned that AI will actually make them irrelevant. I don’t know why, but it’s certainly an unexpected change to the basic business model in some sectors.

In September we learned that pop princess Katy Perry has agreed a deal to sell her back catalogue for around $225m. Her actor husband Orlando Bloom played Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, so no need for bootleg albums for Katy (or perhaps bootstrap albums, with such a load of pieces of eight).

Katy Perry reportedly makes $225m by selling her music catalogue: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66853047

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Royalty IncomeJemima Thomas2023-12-17T13:36:40+00:00

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

TODAY’S BLOG

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT…

Believe it or not, the tax year end is not so far away. Tuesday 5^th April looms menacingly on the horizon … how time flies! It seems like only yesterday that we were doing this dance, even though I’m sure that for many of you, the last year has felt like a particularly long and tough one. You can count me among your ranks.

As that time of year approaches, we will be frequently reminding you of the prudence in making the most of your ISA allowances for the current tax year. If you haven’t thought about this yet, please consider this your first call to action!

As a reminder, for the 2021/22 tax year, the allowances are £20,000 (per individual) for subscriptions into ISAs, and £9,000 for subscriptions into Junior ISAs (JISAs).

So that this is less of a pure reminder and somewhat informative, I will let you in on a lesser-known fact about ISAs and JISAs … 16 and 17-year-olds are able to hold both a JISA and an ISA simultaneously.

Not only are they entitled to hold both a JISA and an ISA, they are also entitled to BOTH of the annual allowances that come with them. This means that the amount that can be saved into ISAs on behalf of these teenagers increases from £9,000 per year to £29,000 per year (all tax-free of course).

If you are looking for ways to set more funds aside for your children (or grandchildren), this might be one of the best ways to do it. I know that some of you have utilised this benefit already.

So, whilst we have a little time before April hits us, please make sure that any intended ISA top-ups are made in good time to use up those allowances for the current tax year. We would ask that all tax-year-end-sensitive investments are made by 25^th March 2022.

We are only an email or phone call away if you need any help.

And remember that the kids are alright!

Daniel Liddicott
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on our blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to us about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

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Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk
Call – 020 8542 8084

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GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

Take Survey

PRIVACY POLICY | DATA PROTECTION

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHTJemima Thomas2025-01-28T09:55:24+00:00

Does your financial plan make your heart sing?

Solomons-financial-advisor-wimbledon-blogger

Does your financial plan make your heart sing?

If you grew up in the 70’s or 80’s there’s a new film that might stir a few memories. Sing Street is set in Dublin in the mid-80’s a secondary schoolboy finds his muse and musical inspiration from an imploding family life.

It’s the sort of movie that touches the familiar and a rite of passage that most of us traverse at some point in adolescence. However it is also a reminder to seize the day and not be swayed by the bullies or those that would otherwise wish to determine your course rather than address their inability to see one for themselves.

As an adult, I increasingly find myself staring at someone I barely recognise in the bathroom mirror, yet generally don’t find myself “thinking old”. Indeed almost everyone I meet at some point tells me that they do not think their age. Our own internal projections of self are often a contrast to the external. Of course with age sometimes comes wisdom, but certainly experience – which invariably alters our behaviour and attitudes, we are not who we once were. We have become responsible, whether through choice or necessity.

Sensible and Sensibility?

We know that we need to budget, save and build a pension, all laudable but fairly dull right? Sometimes being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, to be care-free certainly has its appeal, yet we know that our conformity is inevitably necessary. Financial products smack of everything that is “sensible” (at least the good ones) but they really are very dull and few would really wish to spend long discussing them.

However a good financial planner brings attention to your purpose – beyond simply repaying the mortgage and bills, confronting the question – what is your purpose? And what makes you come alive? For me this is a little reminiscent of adolescence, feeling on the cusp of huge potential. There are plenty willing to tell us what is and what is not possible, but a dream with a plan of action is invariably the difference between indifference and achievement. Sing Street is a triumph. Your financial planning can be too.

Here is the official trailer, you may have to hunt the film out as it isn’t showing in many cinemas (its blockbuster season) but its worth the effort.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

Does your financial plan make your heart sing?Dominic2025-01-28T14:35:47+00:00

Hopeful Christmas

Where does the time go? Only last year I blogged about my god-daughter Hope who had her first proper launch event. After a very busy year, she’s now released an EP album, called “Optimist” – that seems to be gaining some traction and climbing up the singer/songwriter charts. Now all of 16, her latest track is available on i-tunes. Perhaps one for the Christmas stocking?

Do have a listen, you can buy it for the princely sum of £3.14 on i-tunes.

Here’s the title video, which is dedicated to her late father and my very dear friend, who having suffered from a rare form of cancer (mulitple endocrine neoplasia) eventually died from the injuries resulting from a motorcycle crash in August 2006. You can find her on Jacket Records, a new small label run by Jack Hobbs, who also wrote a song for her “So Much More“.

As you know, I’m not a betting man, but I’d suggest that this is best investment for £3.14 you could make this Christmas and help to get the much needed Optimist on the radar.. what’s more you could order it right now from where you are. Happy Christmas.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

Hopeful ChristmasDominic2023-12-01T12:19:42+00:00