Kippergate

On Wednesday evening at ExCel Boris Johnson brandished a kipper from a smokehouse on the Isle of Man.

Henry VIII and All That

Henry VIII is presenting the Barber-Surgeons’ Company Charter to their first Master, Thomas Vicary, superintendent of St Bartholomew’s Hospital and royal physician.

At the Hustings

In Ukraine polling stations, where Parliamentary elections are taking place on Sunday, are called Precinct Electoral Commissions. This has an American ring calling to mind the administrative area of police stations.

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Categorised as Politics

Belt and Braces

Belt and Braces is what I call China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It marks the second stage of China’s rise to out-grow the United States economically. The first was the industrialisation of China, building cities and transport infrastructure. This all happened within China’s borders.

On Safari

Let’s start small – no, not microscopically tiny – just a small mammal and we will work up to bigger ones. Five of us were having supper in the garden on Monday evening.

Religious Wars

Imagine, if you will, England in the 16th century after the Reformation; a small country on the edge of a largely Catholic continent. No, no, no, I promise this isn’t going to be about Brexit.

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Categorised as Politics

Smells

On a recent visit to Trumper’s to have my hair cut I bought a bottle of Portugal Eau de Toilette. I suggested to the salesman that I expected mule dung with top notes of drains and stale urine.

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Categorised as Literature

Odd Jobs

It is four years since I was made redundant. I segued into a seven-day, fifty-two weeks a year job. You are reading it now.