‘Eggs and (political) oaths are easily broken’… why we lap up fake news.

I like eggs. Scrambled are my favourite and even I can rustle up a good effort upon two slices of toast. The dish does rely on a few simple processes underpinned by one fundamental truth – cracking open the requisite eggs. “Res ipsa loquitur” I hear some of you say, if, like me, you have … Read more

HRH RIP and thank you …

Over the years I have become sceptical about the position of the Royal Family. Save a trinket for foreign tourists to fawn over I neither considered the Royal Family to have much constitutional legitimacy or meaning. I had avidly watched The Crown on Netflix and considered the Royals to be, overall, a dysfunctional family and … Read more

You do what for a living?! Shaping identity

From experience once you reach a certain age social gatherings have a pattern of predictability. The preamble, usually with glass in hand, engages with an unspectacular icebreaker: “Tell me, what do you do?” Not wishing to offend these professionals too much, “I’m in IT, HR” or any other job that can be similarly abbreviated can … Read more

To er on the side of contortion …

The other day I happened to walk into a room when a certain public figure was talking. They hold an eminently important office. People’s lives are affected by their words. What oozes from the orifice directly under their nose carries gravitas. Without naming names, you know who I am talking about. Yet all I heard … Read more

Picking up the Bill: the words on the streets of Bristol

As I kid, I remember the double entendre placed upon the street signage: ‘Bill Stickers Will Be Prosecuted!’ under which was daubed, ‘Bill Stickers is innocent!’ A funny play on words but illustrative of the power of English language. Last night in Bristol a demonstration labelled ‘Kill the Bill’ reminded me of this flexibility of … Read more