My father, severely gassed in WW1, had to take up a post with the Colonial Service to be able live in a dry climate. He was sent to Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia. My mother had returned in 1922 and I was born and lived for 6 years in South London. In 1928 my mother and… Continue reading The African Experience, Part 1 1928
Month: April 2007
The Mouse In The Bottle, Page 1
The convention had been an unqualified frost from the beginning. He was disappointed; there was no doubt about that. This had been his first challenge to represent the firm at one of these international get-togethers, and he had been keyed up with excitement at the prospect. He had imagined himself as an integral part of… Continue reading The Mouse In The Bottle, Page 1
The Mouse In The Bottle, Page 2
In time he noticed that his glass was empty and went to the bar to have it refilled. He had never been terribly interested in other women, never really been conscious of their existence. Emily had smoothly entered his life and just as gently taken over. The whole arrangement was perfect, but for some reason… Continue reading The Mouse In The Bottle, Page 2
The Mouse In The Bottle, Page 3
He vaguely felt guilty at his new conception of Emily. Looking into the huge bottle, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘they’, sat complacently staring at him with beady eyes. Emily’s beady eyes, over Emily’s shapeless figure. The long whiskers twitched and he sat upright in his chair, suffused with shame and horror that he should have enlikened this… Continue reading The Mouse In The Bottle, Page 3
The Future Of The Blog
Several months ago I thought it had little future, as in dribs and drabs I had laid out the autobiography interspersed with comments on life today. My life now runs on strict lines, with little worth reporting. In the field of comments, it is difficult to find anything to say that has not already been… Continue reading The Future Of The Blog
The Sterile Landscape Of The Very Old
The recent death of a very old and well loved friend made me examine closely my own condition, where I now have only two close, male friends of long-standing, and one is in Holland. In the 70s I was under extreme pressure and would have given anything to pack up my job, and go to… Continue reading The Sterile Landscape Of The Very Old
Fear
Going up pipes, down manholes, through tunnels, into dark dank corners, beneath the sea, beneath roads and ground, deep or shallow, in compressed air or in sludge and sewage, was ever the lot of the inspection engineer. Nature has instilled in us all an instinct for self-preservation, which translates to reactions varying from being startled,… Continue reading Fear
Identity Cards,Immigrants,Housing
A few days ago I went to Belfast for the first time for several months, and was surprised to find the number of men women and children, from Eastern European countries, who were begging in the street. When you consider our Northern Ireland history, and the fact that we are an outpost of the UK,… Continue reading Identity Cards,Immigrants,Housing
More About Haircuts
The Ploy. A few years ago we moved house, hence we moved service providers and I found a new barber. If you mention his premises to those spending anything from fifteen quid to a ton, just for a haircut, they’ll double up laughing – that is the risk you take and I took it. My… Continue reading More About Haircuts
Value For Money
Our leaders take a notion, discuss it among themselves, without consulting us at all, act on it even though it can cost billions,. There are so many instances; the greatest one of all, of course, is space travel, space stations and all those other scientific toys that the men in white coats like playing with.… Continue reading Value For Money