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House Arrest

I wonder what it is like to be under house arrest. Before I was ill, I used to think it was a cushy number. You could stay in all day, watching television, reading books, playing the mandolin and other relaxing…

Crowd Scenes at Lewes Market

I haven’t been out much recently. You might have wanted to tell me that I should get out more – people get funny when they are indoors a lot but those that know me better think I was a bit…

British MPs – naughty but still boring

We are all loving our politicians here in Britain at the moment. Politics has been really boring in the newspapers with all that financial stuff and, let’s be honest, we just don’t understand it but that has all been changed…

Bang Bang, You’re Dead

My father was an army man. Whilst my brothers and I were running around pretending to be commandos, cowboys or invading spacemen, someone asked him what he would do if this country re-introduced conscription into the armed forces. Emigrate, he…

A Red Letter in the MRI Scanner

Last Friday was another one of those dates that have had a red circle round it on my calendar for some time now. I like this tradition. You have your favourite picture calendar on the wall and you get that…

Goodbye South Bank Show

The British newspapers have been discussing the death of a long-running TV show today. I am trying not to be too parochial in this blog but the show, the long-running arts series, The South Bank Show, is one that has…

Dancing with the Morrismen

I sometimes think that the French might be more joyful than the English. They don’t look it but they have the right expressions for when your heart races and you feel like jumping for joy.Maybe I don’t know enough English…

English Bluebells on May Day

May Day, the middle of the year, is a special moment in folk culture. It falls half way between the Winter and Summer Solstices and, certainly, in England, is one of the most beautiful times of the year. Spring is…