Forget the adage about sticks and stones, words can certainly hurt and they did just that, one evening before Christmas. Add in the effect of actions, with their capacity to speak louder than words, and the occasion had many of the features of a nightmare. A young couple, with their small child, had come to…
Great expectations
Living up to people’s expectations can be a challenge. We were out to dinner and after updating one another on families, touching on the financial crisis and on the forthcoming presidential election, conversation suddenly took a downward turn. Out of the blue, Pierre asked, "Tell me, as an Englishman, what do the English think of…
Selective deafness
Whenever a radio or television announcer says we are about to hear an interview with Tony Blair, I turn off my ears. This may be an excessive response but many years ago our former prime minister lost my trust. For me, what was an exciting political prospect became a betrayal, and a warmongering one at…
Thieves of time
Memorising lists of monarchs and ministers, of dates and dynasties, has never been my scene. How very different is the history of my local environment, of my living space - to me this is fascinating. Knowing that my house in Richmond was built in the nineteenth century, that the road outside was being used in…
Space invaders
Sharing public space can be difficult. Yes, when there is plenty of it around, problems are less likely to occur. But for town dwellers, manoeuvring where space is limited, things are different and negotiation is often needed. There are rules of conduct, such as "first-come-first-served" and the offer of “after you” when for example, approaching…
Powers of observation
And the curious case of the Lowcock leg.. How conduct and values have changed! I was a young doctor and the consultant asked me to teach first-year medical students. The topic was, “How to examine the chest?” and the date - probably the early 1970s. The memory of the event is excruciating. The patient I…
Lying in state
Normally I have little or no feeling for dead animals. While I have buried various pets and, on the insistence of my children delivered the necessary eulogies, these have been the exception. Apart from corpses displayed in the butcher’s shop or the ‘real thing’ stuffed in displays in museums, my nearest viewing of dead beasts…
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