Category: words

12 June 2015

Many years ago, we were lucky enough to loan a dapple grey Welsh gelding called Ollie, who was a real sweetie. One summer’s night, we took my Mum and Dad for a walk to our field to see him, and I still remember vividly what a wonderful experience…

26 August 2012

So farewell then, Neil Armstrong Childhood hero, and Coiner of that famous phrase. With one small step you shuffled off Your mortal coil, And took a giant leap Into eternity. Tranquillity Base – the Eagle has taken off, Into the wild blue yonder. (After E J Thribb.)

23 August 2011

A worthy contender for the “Who writes this crap?” award. This article on the BBC news web site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14306146 is a mix of sensationalist technobabble, misconceptions and plain tosh. It’s hard to believe that a “technology reporter” is actually paid to write stuff like this. Did you know…

30 March 2010

I never thought of the origin of this phrase before, but today, I was outside at just after 6. The sky was a dark inky blue starting to lighten to a sullen grey in the south, and apart from the distant roar of the surf, all I could…

5 November 2009

Number 4 in an occasional series: 1 was staplers, 2 was caravans, and 3 was office chairs. Some while ago, I got an Epic Fireworks catalogue through the post – why they think a 2-man company would mount a £2,000 display is beyond me, but it furnished me…

26 February 2008

One of the pleasures of Sunday afternoons in my pottery is listening to Open Book – one of Radio 4’s better literary efforts. Presented by the wonderfully husky Mariella Frostrup (please will she come and read me some bedtime stories?), it often features reviews of books or authors…

21 November 2007

Number 3 in an occasional series: 1 was staplers, and 2 was caravans. I was amused to see in the latest fURNITURE@work catalogue™ that office chairs obviously have very high opinions of themselves – well, some at least. In the lead, we have some very noble cities: Torino, Rome, Milano, Quebec, Athlone,…

20 August 2007

Part II in an occasional series on the names of things, inspired by Gary Larson. Part I: Staplers A few weeks ago, I spent a lot of time in traffic jams on the M6, and to pass the time, collected some names of caravans. Since then, I have added…

11 July 2007

  With thanks to the late, great Gary Larson, whose Far Side cartoon “The names that dogs call themselves” inspired this post. We have been managing with the same box of 5,000 desk staples for about the past 12 years, so the purchase of a new box was…

26 September 1996

Indian summer weather has gone at last – no more warm blue afternoon skies and still, dewy mornings. Suddenly the sky is full of flying grey tatters of cloud; and rooks are practising their synchronised wheeling, like stray tea-leaves swirling in a rinsed teapot. A cool damp wind…