It is 1972 in a sepia coloured England. Everything is black and white, or beige. In a Lancastrian mill town there is an infant school built by the Victorians; all granite and high ceilings and heavy
Continue reading →The Spying Game
Forever Autumn
“The world has changed. I feel in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.”
Thus spoke Arwen, the “Evenstar” as she was also referred to
Continue reading →The Last of the Famous International Playboys
I was having a chat with our landlord Petunia this week. For those who don’t know, Petunia borrows his moniker from the theatrical nickname of 70s British showbusiness superstar, Peter Wyngarde AKA Jason King. I think I
Continue reading →Mutter Angela and the Sorting Hat
I read in my Sunday broadsheets that Angela Merkel is starting to get a bit of stick in Germany. For example “Mutter Angela” is featured on the front page of Der Spiegel in full Mother Theresa
Continue reading →The Open Doors of Perception
Here is a brief timeline of events.
On Saturday morning I listened with great interest to the announcements of the results of the Labour leadership contest. I raised an eyebrow at the announcement of Mr.
Continue reading →A Sunday Ramble
Since the world is quite clearly going to hell in a handcart, I decided to produce some whimsy, a bit of light refreshment. It is time to talk about lampreys. I feel the lamprey needs to
Continue reading →Chilcot’s Ills – They’re Multiplyin’
Chilcot’s ills/they’re multiplying/and he’s losing control…
So sang John Travolta to Olivia Neutron-Bomb in “Greece”, a satirical musical which celebrates the inanities of the Eurozone some 35 years ago now, just a couple of years
Continue reading →Rush Hours
I watched a film called “Rush” a while ago. It tells the story of the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Since I am not a petrol head I did not really know the story.
Continue reading →A Quick Pitt Stop
I came across this photograph the other day. It made me smile and it made me a bit sad. It was obviously taken at the height of the Hammer Horror craze, and summed up all the
Continue reading →Bullying and the Misuses of Social Media
When I was at school, in my mid teens, I was relentlessly and pretty badly bullied for a couple of years. It was very bad stuff, mostly but not always psychological. I can see now, with
Continue reading →Sunday Miscellany
Hello Raccoonistas. I have been away for a while. Some things have diverted me. But I could not let this weekend pass without a voice. 70 years since the end of the Second World War. I
Continue reading →Dark Days Ahead
I spent a largely unremarkable holiday in Tunisia back in the 80’s. It was so unremarkable I can’t remember whether I was in Sousse or not. It was very hot and, in the time-honoured phrase of
Continue reading →The Sunday Post: Shrouded in Mystery
Regular readers will recall that from time to time I conduct one of my historical mystery tours. These have often yielded results which surprise me. It seems there are times when historical narrative and scientific fact
Continue reading →The Evening Post: Faith and Fur
I could, I suppose, have written a diatribe about the inhuman piece of excrement that is “Jihadi John” or whatever his real name is, and also the deluded, ghastly and fanatical apologists for murder that is
Continue reading →Putin the Boot In
Whilst enjoying watching the occasional Europa Champions League match on TV of late it has not escaped my attention that the competition is sponsored by Gazprom, the Russian gas production company with a majority stake held
Continue reading →The Sunday Post: The Rape of Dresden
Dresden. 70 years ago 13 square miles of the city lay in smouldering ruins. Something like 25,000 people lay dead. Many died from lack of oxygen as the fire storm swept through the city; others were
Continue reading →The Blair Way To Heaven
The headline in The Times last week that made me froth a little was:
“Censored: Blair’s links with Rwanda”
Apparently, your friend and mine, Tony Blair has been granted a special constitutional
Continue reading →The Sunday Post: Elegy
I deeply mourn the passing of my dear friend, Juliette, who left us just after Christmas.
Some years ago, when I was in the midst of self-doubt, loneliness and misery, I would thrash about
Continue reading →Sacranie Values?
The Sunday Post: Rituals
The Equalizer
A couple of weeks ago I took myself off to the cinema to see “The Equalizer”. It is an old-fashioned morality tale, very loosely based on the TV series which made Edward Woodward a very rich
Pilgrim’s Progress
I see that the glitzy behemoth that is the BBC’s Children in Need is hoving into view. I have to confess, I don’t really like it. How can one not support such a manifestly good cause,
Continue reading →Unholy War?
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Islam and the Sword.
There was a prescient piece in the Sunday Times this week by Tom Holland, historian and author of, amongst other books, ‘In the Shadow of the Sword’, which charts the origins of Islam.
In
Continue reading →Lest we forget
100 years ago today Britain entered a war in which Europe slaughtered its young men on an industrial scale. Two of the men who fought and thankfully survived were my grandfathers. My paternal grandfather fought with
Continue reading →An update about the Cat With No Name.
Very regular readers might just recall I have occasionally written about “my” cat – the Cat With No Name.
To reprise, he came into my life when I found my present sanctuary, damn near
Continue reading →A letter to a 15 year old girl in America.
I gather there has been another ‘incident’. I am not too sure of the details, but I understand it has something to do with alcohol, being up all night
Continue reading →Risk – The Dirty War for Europe’s integrity and Soul
The trials of Tyrion Lannister, and others.
Warning! Spoiler alert for Game of Thrones Series 4, Episodes 4, 5 and 6!
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister turns on his tormentors as his father Tywin (Charles Dance)
Continue reading →World Cup Mayhem
The Quidditch World Cup or something has come to the Abbey, and in some style. Leave aside all naked FIFA corruption, the riots and the general unpleasant side of the ‘beautiful game’, the
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