In 1837, my ancestor, Shlomo-ben-Yaarnkel ha-Cohen, was walking the streets of Szypliszki and he was depressed. For most Jews depression is the default position, expressed with a big ‘oooyyyy’, but for Shlomo this was more defined. He was poor. Not just, like boat-person refugee poor, not like homeless-in-Britain poor, not even ‘how am I ever – Read More-
Have you had the ‘red light debate’ at a dinner party in a middle-class suburb near you? It goes like this: “well I saw cyclists today and they went straight through A RED LIGHT!!!, on their bikes, as if the rules don’t apply to them!!!”. Then everyone agrees whilst sipping chilled rose, and they get – Read More-
There can surely be few pleasures in life greater than high pressure hosing your driveway. Its right up there with wetting the bed (first 2.3 minutes only), not falling off a ladder and watching Arsenal lose to… anyone. The satisfaction achieved as the stones just glisten brightly, the joy of being soaked to the point – Read More-
If the answer to the question is “James Maddison”, then what is the question? (Those who lack the love of the game of football, a devotion to all things Premier League, an understanding of the intricacies of ‘the beautiful game’ and an unnatural obsession with small, furry animals, best look away now.) For years we’ve – Read More-
Mel drinks ‘mint tea’. No idea why. I’d bathe in it, but drink it?? Not even ‘tea’, just mint leaves in hot water. Why? What’s the point? But she loves it so who can argue. So having had 47 mint bushes lost/buried/killed by slugs/died of unnatural causes in the garden, we had to concede that – Read More-
Everyone’s favourite ex-president, possibly future-president, has spent the last 3 weeks doing the Intensive Super Zoolander Course for ‘The Look’. At the end of which he had to pick The Pose which would define him, his election campaign and be The Image for making America even more greater-er than it was last time he spent – Read More-
It wasn’t precisely a ‘Kennedy moment’ but there’s something about the death (allegedly) of Yevgeny Prigozhin which is universal. In that: wherever you were when you heard of ‘the plane crash’, whoever told you and by whatever means (news, phone message, internet), your first thought was ‘Putin done it’. And your second was, ‘I’m surprised – Read More-
Have you watched ‘A Spy Among Friends’? The series on ITV? Its been on for a while but I just started. As is my way. Its the story of Kim Philby, the Russian spy in MI5 just and after the war. And it has pedigree. Written by Ben McIntyre, the best writer of non-fiction in – Read More-
I’m not the world’s best shopper. For clothes, I am absolutely the worst. But for food, I’m not so bad. Because I love food but would rather go around naked than try on 16 different shirts/trousers/socks. Food doesn’t need trying on. And because I moved, 37 years ago, from the deprived wilds of way out – Read More-
So my hip’s still bothering me, about 8 weeks after it started, thanks for asking!!! No better, no worse. So I started playing tennis again, on the grounds that; if this is ‘the future’, then better start learning to ‘play through the pain’. Because I’m stupid. But, inspired by the Lionesses, I manned up and – Read More-