The Weekly Wind-down: Learning from Abraham Lincoln and Chris Silverwood’s different approaches to getting their message across

EVER since Abraham Lincoln addressed the crowds at Gettysburg 150 years ago and used 272 words to out-do the day’s main speaker, Edward Everett, who had used 13,607, speakers have known that less can be more when it comes to driving a point home.

But this week Microsoft’s chief envisioning officer Dave Coplin managed to surpass even the brevity of President Lincoln.

He was due to meet for an interview about the talk he was giving on the importance of technology and creativity to Santander’s small business conference in Leeds later that day.

However his train north was delayed for so long, the chat couldn’t be squeezed in.

Next time, we’ll be using Skype.

THE Yorkshire Asset Based Lending dinner at the Royal Armouries was a typically lively affair at New Dock Hall.

The YABL rabble were entertained by stories of Matt Le Tissier being recognised, or not, in his local Co-op, but spare a thought for the Sky Sports pundit as he was merely the warm-up act for Nookie Bear.

But before the star of New Faces 1976 came out of his box, the Southampton footballer was able to put in a couple of crunching tackles – so two more than he managed in his 593-game career – on event organiser Chris Silverwood.

Chris, who had opened the evening by showing a photo of a reluctant-looking Le Tiss taken at Cheltenham a few weeks ago, is renowned for being a gregarious soul.

The Southampton footballer started off by regaling the audience with a long list of details about Chris’s life, starting from childhood and moving on. All that was missing was Michael Aspel with a large red book.

“I don’t really know him,” admitted Le Tissier. “But I have been sat next to him all fricking night.”