Category Archives: thought piece

Snobbery Or Maintaining Standards? #thoughtpiece #Benschott #jeevesandtheleapoffaith

Posted on Oct 24, 2020 by

As a child, growing up in leafy if somewhat reserved Surrey in the 1960s – think Downton Abbey without the money or titles in so far as rules of behaviour were concerned – I was often challenged by cutlery, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book review, thought piece | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Writing In Fractals

Posted on Oct 10, 2020 by

I walk a lot. Mostly with Dog, come rain or shine. Sometimes I let my thoughts run free, more a mental ramble really. At others I have the radio on, BBC Sounds, some podcast an Audible book. And occasionally it … Continue reading →

Posted in thought piece | Tagged , , , , , | 29 Comments

Putting A Value On A Life

Posted on Aug 16, 2020 by

It’s not something we like to do. We fight against the whole idea that one life is worth more or less than others. And taken to an individual level, even suggesting that such a value judgment could be made is … Continue reading →

Posted in history, miscellany, thought piece | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Parenting – Winning The War Or At Least Losing Gracefully

Posted on Jul 22, 2020 by

This is based on a post I wrote some years ago and was triggered by a somewhat bizarre discussion with my mother in law about taking medicine. A parenting lesson, which a conversation today brought back to me and which … Continue reading →

Posted in thought piece | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Inspiration v Perspiration

Posted on Jun 12, 2020 by

Reading a touching and poignant post by Jennie Fitzkee this week here, the subject of having an inspiring teacher cropped up and brought me back to my senior school. I pretty much enjoyed school and by the time I entered … Continue reading →

Posted in education, miscellany, thought piece | Tagged , , | 37 Comments

My Covid Conundrum #thoughtpiece

Posted on Jun 10, 2020 by

We’ve been going at this for weeks now. The lockdown rules, here in the UK are easing, though there are as many voices wanting more freedom as there are wishing we were still fully locked down. First June saw some … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellany, thought, thought piece | Tagged , , | 66 Comments

What To Do While Bored: The Poetry Advice Edition

Posted on Apr 22, 2020 by

Never pick your nose in public Or roll it in a ball And if you must pee outdoors, Just not against the wall. … Your zits are not for squeezing In any public place And if you have the urge … Continue reading →

Posted in humour, miscellany, poems, poetry, thought piece | Tagged , , , | 24 Comments

What To Do When You’re Going Bonkers: Part Historic

Posted on Apr 18, 2020 by

We began cleaning the house, carefully taking every room apart and then restoring it. It’s thrown up some hidden gems – a packet of Hoola Hoops with a sell-by date of 2006 fr’instance. And it’s shown up my inner lawyer … Continue reading →

Posted in memories, poems, thought piece | Tagged , , , , | 29 Comments

Punchenello Tillingdown

Posted on Apr 2, 2020 by

I grew up with dogs. Or rather a dog. The worried mutt above was the son of the family dog when I was born. But Rusty didn’t survive for me to remember her. She was a pedigree boxer and so … Continue reading →

Posted in dogs, family, memories, thought piece | Tagged , , , | 51 Comments

The past is always tense, the future perfect #thoughts

Posted on Mar 31, 2020 by

I wrote this in 2014; not sure what prompted it then. A bit pretentious perhaps but not far from what I believe. The quote in the title is from Zadie Smith – clever woman, that. And it’s what I understand when … Continue reading →

Posted in thought, thought piece | Tagged , , | 25 Comments