No sleeves and a cuckoo clock
One of my favourite items of clothing in this soggy but not particularly cold weather is a leather jerkin of the sort that British soldiers used to favour during the…
The Boss
My housemate F is a scriptwriter. Not only is he a more talented writer than me, he is also far more dedicated, and on evenings when I can be found…
The modern cave-dweller
I’ve never been a great fan of central heating. A cold house is a grey, unhappy place, but somehow the ambient, uniform warmth you get from radiators and thermostats is…
April fool
I fondly remember the occasion, in a previous place of employment, when we posted a news story on our website claiming that a new Muppets feature film was being produced.…
Signs of spring #1
I’m always surprised by how quickly spring comes on. It’s not quite the explosion of life that you find in countries further north, but even so. One week it’s cold…
Skills for life
A colleague came over asking the editorial team, both of whom had been scouts, if we could help her to roll and tie a scout neckerchief. The days of the…
The English Riviera
Last week, I journeyed to the south of our great nation, further south, in fact, than I have ever journeyed domestically. I was on a reporting job with David Tett…
A tin of cat food and a transistor radio
The coppers are doing VIP protection training in the grounds of my workplace. We were warned a couple of times in advance, but the occasional boom of a controlled explosion…
Mixed messages
The stroppy note on the front door annoyed me slightly, but I think the transparency of this Christmas message is quite sweet. I texted a nice message back.
The tenacity of tinsel
Up on the North York Moors, there is a particularly exposed stretch of main road running between the derelict Legendary Saltersgate Inn and the truck-slaying gradient of Blue Bank. As…
