Booze
Today I am brewing up a good, old-fashioned British ale. It’s from a recipe I found many years ago in a book by a mad home-brewer called David Lines, and I’ve made some whenever I’ve had the means. David Lines had a brilliant idea. He went to all the major brewers about fifty years ago, … Continue reading
Why We Need Real Freedom of Information
Today we hear that the government has come up with a brilliant new scheme: charge drivers for driving on the roads. Not clearly, the same as charging people to own a car, and thereby defraying the cost of maintaining the British road network. No, this way actual usage of the roads would be chargeable, which … Continue reading
Displacement Activities
I’ve been trying to type the first paragraph of the next book. For quite some time. It’s there, in my head, but my head is an irrational location in which to story it with any hope of getting it out and down on paper. Dr Wang, who created Wang Laboratories in the 1950s, was an … Continue reading
Warfare through the ages
I am in the middle of writing a new book that will be based much more on war and how medieval fighters lived, fought and died. Obviously the start point has to be the history. I’ve been soaking up books on the period for the last few weeks, trying to get a good basic understanding … Continue reading
A New Project for Me!
It was a few years ago that I first talked to the Royal Literary Fund about their Fellowship scheme. As a concept, it takes some beating, I think. Going to university is a difficult time for many students: they have a whole new lifestyle to get used to, without parents and friends. A whole new … Continue reading
Slaves in Workfare
There is a lot in the press this week about workfare and the idea of poor jobless fellows becoming mindless drones, slaving away at a supermarket’s shelves without decent compensation. Up goes the shout: Slavery! When I was out of work (thirteen times in thirteen years before I employed myself), one of the worst … Continue reading
Blasted BBC Again!
Blasted BBC stupidity once more! There are few things that can reduce me in moments to sheer, gibbering rage, but this one’s got me. Worked in a nanosecond. No, not one of the usual ones. Not politicians claiming their food allowances, not even politicians lying through their teeth. No, this was much, much worse. It’s … Continue reading
Give ‘Em A Damn Good Thrashing
Smacking – Ye Gods, I am agreeing with David Lammy! Today he has called for the law to be changed so that parents can once more smack their children. Well, I wasn’t aware that it was illegal to do so (within reason). But I applaud his common sense. Shame so few politicians seem to possess … Continue reading
Sit back and take the medicine
More on pensions. Are you getting the idea that there’s a certain amount of jealousy here on my part? Today the British Medical Association has declared that they will be ballotting their members on strike action over proposed reforms to the NHS. The BMA is a trade union for doctors and consultants, and it is … Continue reading
What next for the Euro?
So once again, it’s the bad old Brits who’ve ruined things in Europe. OK, don’t expect this to be entirely rational. I was up until early this morning signing Christmas cards. Still, my natural grumpiness has been enhanced today by the entirely predictable sulkiness of Mr Sarkozy this morning. It’s all Britain’s fault. Mr Sarkozy … Continue reading
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