Hobbies
Crossword No. 234
First correct entry out of ‘the hat’ wins a book of your choice (subject to T&Cs) & a mug! Email entries to me by 6.00 pm Friday, subject ‘Crossword’. Contact here on email Winner of [more…]
Blog
20th Century
My Legends of Pop Music – Part Fifty-Eight – Smokie
I suspect many of you will know my top three legends of pop music. We are on the countdown now to my most favourite music artists, making them my 3rd most favourite legends of pop [more…]
Fiction
Jinnie’s Story – Book Four, Chapter Seven
Jinnie worried about what to say to her assembled department and had a short discussion with Greta and Carol. In the end, the consensus was not to make a speech, but to say a few [more…]
Economics
“War on cash” update: A brighter outlook
Central planners and paper pushers of all stripes are not generally known for their acumen or their ability to recognize and successfully seize opportunities in time. They always tend to lag behind more or less [more…]
20th Century
Naples – Front Line Problem City
In March 1944 my uncle John Alldridge visited Naples a few months after it had been liberated and produced this report for the Manchester Evening News. – Jerry F *** War brought disease and desolation [more…]
Economics
OTF (Own Two Feet) Party, Part Five
Fairly taxing thoughts… In this article, I hope to think through a fair taxation system. What to tax and why. I am starting from the ground up and paying no attention to the fact that [more…]
19th Century
Sabrage, or how to show off at parties
You have all seen old Hollywood movies showing Napoleonic cavalry officers celebrating by cutting the tops off of champagne bottles. The name for this is sabrage. As with most things in movies there is some [more…]
Human Interest
In praise of the Countess of Wessex
All puffins, and most of the rest of the country, will be well aware that HM Queen Elizabeth II’s offspring have not been the wisest in their choice of spouse. This may not entirely be [more…]
20th Century
Uncle Fred, Edwardian Metropolitan Policeman
Uncle Fred’s Early Life ‘Uncle Fred’, as we all called him, was, in reality, my maternal grandfather’s uncle, and my great great uncle. He was the only other member of my grandfather’s family I ever [more…]