That Friday afternoon could have been heavy. My assignation - a church wedding in the heartlands of Surrey. The journey there took less time than expected thanks to an easy platform change and an early connection. I arrived at Dorking to be met by the bridegroom’s mother. There were three other invitees at the station…
Keeping up appearances
I have found appearances a real challenge. The problem - appearance influences how people judge one another; appearances themselves are easily changed. So, although in animals appearances tend to be fixed (the chameleon is an obvious exception), humans can manipulate their appearances through clothing, comportment and a multitude of adornments (from make up, to hair…
In celebration of the oral contraceptive
Later this month we will be celebrating the birthday of the oral contraceptive pill which was officially born (received marketing approval) on 23 June 1960. The approval was given in the USA, and a year later Germany, Australia and the UK followed suit. The launch of ‘the pill’ must be one of the iconic events…
Who am I?
Post election, we find Joe Collier in an introspective mood.. I value change greatly. As I age I look back and delight in how I have and can change, and that this is still going on. Indeed I treasure this capacity. In the last three years I have lost a great deal of influence but this…
The cruel denial of assisted dying
Whatever else, arguments for and against assisted dying must include the notion of cruelty. And, in my view to refuse the request for advice on, or help in, dying (the legal requirement of doctors at present) when asked for help by patients of sound mind, who are competent to make decisions, who are suffering unbearably…
Il faut cultiver notre jardin
Joe Collier muses on the contrast between the garden and the kitchen when it comes to contending with the forces of nature. We arrived in our cottage two weeks ago. As usual the thing we did first was to check over the garden and on this occasion the trees were our main concern. Luckily the…
Long live love, long live life!
Inevitably, we greyhares get a bit gloomy from time to time. We are, after all, faced with uncertain futures. But some of the reasons for pessimism are receding. For a start, we now know that as a group we can expect to live much longer than any previous cohort of our age. Overall, by 2030…
The do’s and don’ts of unsolicited advice
There were eight of us round the table - granny (now past being involved in serious discussion), my wife and myself, our three sons (aged 29, 34 and 38), a cousin and a family friend (they were aged in their early 30s). Towards the end of the starter (on offer were smoked salmon, liver pate,…
Alzheimer’s cure via mobile phone? Let battle commence
I strongly believe we are heading for one almighty battle. Millions and millions of pounds have been spent by the drugs industry in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Much more money is being reaped as drugs (often of marginal benefit) are used in its management worldwide. With this scenario all was looking secure for the…
A bit of bah humbug does you good
The case for being unsociable: Joe Collier's antidote to the party season. Although many see me as sociable, in reality it is only partly me. In many ways I am much more at home being unsociable, a trait which I believe generally deserves recognition (and respect) as a positive, rather than a negative, attribute. I feel…
The Joe Collier Blog 