Last week we were in the headlines. We watched from afar as the BBC told the UK of freezing weather hitting Canada, and we were there, bang in the middle of it all. We were staying in a small cottage in a forest just two-hours north of Toronto in our son Joshua's new, 'self-built' home. …
Tidings of comfort and joy
My wife and I are both atheists so it might seem odd that each year we send Christmas cards or perhaps more precisely, seasonal greetings cards. But it is an important part of our family life, as it was for my own parents, also atheists, although we send out only a fraction of the 400…
Parental guidelines
The unspoken bond amongst parents was in evidence again last week when at the station I found myself moving back from the platform edge. I was daydreaming when I became aware of a conversation somewhere in the background. A young woman was explaining to her small son that when waiting on a platform one should…
Another day at the office
For several days we tracked the progress of St Jude as the storm moved towards England and Northern France. We were away in Canada when he first appeared in the news. We watched with increasing interest as over days, and as if in slow motion, the saint gradually gathered energy and press coverage. The picture…
Lost propriety
Three years ago we ditched our car. At first we wondered if we would feel bereft but the move has been a success with money saved, a contribution made to the fight against global warming, and no symptoms of car withdrawal. By using a mixture of walking, cycling, public transport, home delivery and the occasional…
A good telling off
As an adult, being on the receiving end of a 'good telling off' is most unpleasant. I got one from government officials in my late 50s; it was for a minor breach of some draconian secrecy regulations. The issue at hand was trivial - using privileged information to suggest to a consumer group a topic…
Speed merchant
Joe Collier trades speed for enlightenment The reverberations that followed a drive in the countryside in April are only now settling. We had set our hearts on seeing a 13th century tithe barn, but there was a problem. It was four o'clock, the barn would close in an hour, and we were lost. We were…
Blankety blank
Being an unwitting stooge in an organised charade made me furious and the feeling persists weeks later. Moreover, as it was a very public affair the charade affected many more people than just me! It all started several months ago when, out of the blue, I received a letter from a university inviting me to…
The precious slippers
It is most unusual for us to get presents unannounced, but there they were, popped through the letterbox in a brown paper envelope. Out came a pair of hand-made slippers with tough plastic soles and pink crocheted uppers. Accompanying them was a hand-written letter addressed to 'Two friends in UK' and signed by 'Esakwan'. All…
A frame of mind
After much discussion and several site visits our differences were resolved. Nothing major, simply that my wife and I needed to agree just when best to introduce a new layout to the vegetable patch in France. Our plan was to rearrange the patch so that it would have six raised beds, instead of the old…
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