Now forgive me. Excusez-moi. Entschudigen. I love a lot of things about Germany and France. I have traveled to both countries many times, I have struggled to speak both languages, and I have been an absorbed student of their history…
Sometimes chaos reigns no matter what you do. It was that butterfly somewhere across the seas fluttering its wings and setting all this into play that created the muddle which is my desk. Now the question is not “To be…
Monday mornings these days are usually devoted to learning Mandarin Chinese and having a one to one kung fu lesson. Yesterday though, a touch of lurgy maybe, an aching back, a few symptoms of brain damage and the arrival of…
It is five months today since I had my brain haemorrhage and yesterday, I felt I needed to mark this with some new act of freedom. I promised myself that I would go on my first country walk since all…
Gavin the young plantsman delivered a camellia yesterday afternoon. I had always planned to have one in the new garden because one of the saddest things about moving from my old house was leaving behind a giant, promiscuously flowering specimen…
What shall we spend £10 million on this week? I know, let’s fill London with policemen and turn those anti-G20 demonstrations into a battle. For those who don’t know, we in the UK are going to have a week of…
Is it niddering mansuetude to embrangle olid, griseous recrement and should we be oppugnant and fatidical by exuviating the malison; vilpending these words worn out by their own caducity? (Is it cowardly mildness to confuse foul-smelling, somewhat grey dross and…
I have been invited to a fancy dress party on Saturday and if I am well enough on the day, I intend to go. The theme is James Bond so the choice is endless. I don’t see myself as Mr.…
Nothing like a good lavatorial joke to make its impact or to bring public figures down to earth. It is said that if you ever feel over-awed by anyone in authority, take Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for example, you…
I wondered yesterday how many people’s last thoughts would have been “oh shit!” There was a scene in that excellent and taboo challenging American TV series, Six Feet Under when one of the central characters was driving through town, on…