On rubbish modern life.

You have now given up work so you can prepare for your training to become a school teacher, starting in two weeks.
In honour of this, on your last day you baked a cake for your colleagues which, owing to a kitchen accident, enjoyed the twin flavours of chocolate and pesto. You also attended the leaving party [...]

Read Full Post »

On a plan for the improvement of English spelling.

You’ve always been particularly fond of this splendid entry into the debate about whether or not to simplify English spelling, usually attributed to Mark Twain:
For example, in Year 1 that useless letter “c” would be dropped to be replased either by “k” or “s”, and likewise “x” would no longer be part of the alphabet. [...]

Read Full Post »

On korrect speling.

When you were about nine years old you were extracted from the classes that everyone else was attending in order to do extra nature study.
It was one of those half arsed efforts schools make sometimes towards catering for ‘gifted’ children, the quotation marks there being entirely justified as the lesson you were lifted out of on the grounds [...]

Read Full Post »

On Prom 41.

Last night you went to half a Prom.
It all started quite auspiciously. You both set off in good time, even allowing for side trips to that endlessly fascinating retail emporium, Boots the Chemists, and so you arrived a good 45 minutes before the start.
 At which point you realised that you had picked a popular Prom.
Now [...]

Read Full Post »

On the refuge of scoundrels.

As a fan of formula one, your years in Russia were a bit frustrating.
It’s true that the races were generally available on one of the terrestrial channels, although it always seemed to take a few races for a deal for the TV rights to be struck. Missing the opening of the season every year and [...]

Read Full Post »