If you’re quick, and can get down to the Greenwich Theatre in South East London on either of the next two evenings, you can catch a touring production of “A Spoonful of Sherman”, a celebration of the Sherman family of songwriters. Alternatively you can check out the touring schedule here and catch the show elsewhere… Continue reading “A Spoonful of Sherman”
The word “commoner” was in the news at the start of this month and has been on my mind ever since. Here’s a typical headline from the Guardian: “Royal Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invite 2,640 commoners”. The subheading explains: “People chosen from across UK to join staff and local schoolchildren in Windsor Castle… Continue reading Word of the week: commoner
At the risk of sounding like a Grumpy Old Man here’s another minor irritation, prompted by some incompetent driving that I witnessed earlier this week. It concerns “Baby on Board” signs that some people display on the back of their cars, and the words below might be useful for anyone who has ever wondered whether… Continue reading “Baby on Board”
Yesterday (21 March) was my half-birthday. Is that worth celebrating? We didn’t notice this kind of thing when we were young but my own children do. Soon they will be 11 and a half and 13 and a half, and I can now add “and a half” to my own age. There are many months… Continue reading Half-birthdays, solstices and equinoxes
The word “spy” has been in the news a lot this month. A former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia “remain critically ill in hospital after being poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent”, in the words of this Guardian piece from earlier today. The piece is headlined “Russian spy poisoning: police release picture… Continue reading Word of the week: spy
It’s two days late I know, but a belated Happy St Patrick’s Day to you. In Ireland you still have a few hours to commemorate the national saint on this Bank Holiday Monday but the rest of us are done for another year. The next time that St Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday will… Continue reading Grand Slam
After yesterday’s reflections on “You’ve got to hide your love away”, here’s another Beatles song that has been on my mind in the last few days, “Golden Slumbers”. Did you hear Elbow’s version of it? It was released before Christmas last year and accompanied an advert for John Lewis. You can check out the official… Continue reading “Golden Slumbers” and conjunctions
This earlier piece, about my childhood enthusiasm for London Transport, could have been written anytime in the last 20 years. It recounted a week that I spent with a schoolmate, just before my 11th birthday, travelling the length and breadth of the London Underground. What prompted me to finalize and publish it was hearing the… Continue reading “You’ve got to hide your love away”
Laetare means “rejoice” in Latin. Last weekend the Catholic Church celebrated Laetare Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Lent. It’s meant as a small, brief respite from the sacrifices of Lent. If you’re off booze, chocolate or crisps, you could take the day off, indulge yourself a little. Two things came to mind while hearing a… Continue reading Word of the week: Laetare
Like many of my classmates here in West London I had a childhood enthusiasm for London Transport. I started primary school in the 1960s at a place that was a 3-minute walk from home, through an alleyway. We didn’t have a car but even if we did it would have taken longer to be driven… Continue reading A childhood enthusiasm for London Transport
The Compartments 