Monthly Archives: September 2015

Mine was a Classics scholar, a schoolmaster and a great teacher; he had great patience and cared for every pupil. He also had a quiet sense of humour. How many times did I turn to him to explain something? More … Continue reading →

By now, you must be used to (or sick of) my meanderings back to the early days in Norfolk where time stood still. As a teacher, my dad earned enough to support a growing family in modest comfort; we had … Continue reading →

Google this and you will find a number of distressing articles on totally awful situations and events. Certainly the most horrific was the holocaust, but let’s not forget the Rwanda genocide, the short life and terrible death of Baby P, … Continue reading →

Every year, around this time, the issue returns: Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet (Black Piet). It is almost entirely a Dutch issue and a sensitive one at that; these days, it’s about racism and a long way from what was otherwise … Continue reading →

No, this is not about Gotye; it’s a lot more scary than that! In 1984, I was working in Amsterdam for Shell Research; I had just transferred from General Research (a scientific playground) to Chemical Processing where we were expected … Continue reading →

Yes, 2 September 2012 I wrote my very first blog. This one is #564 which I a) find amazing and b) does not surprise me at all. It has become a habit, jumping from one recollection to another, a random … Continue reading →