Monthly Archives: May 2022

Discussing Franz Ferdinand on the top deck of the bus

Posted on 18th May 2022 by Ian

The man and his wife and three children came up to the top deck of the bus. Bound for the beach, they carried bags with beachwear, towels and a picnic. Emaciated, and shaky, the man had taken a day off … Continue reading →

Posted in Out and about | Leave a comment

Attics and Christian Science

Posted on 15th May 2022 by Ian

I was thinking about my grand aunt. We called her ‘Nell’, my grand uncle called her ‘Helen’. Only by doing research for the family tree did I discover her official name was ‘Nellie’. It was not a name that had … Continue reading →

Posted in The stuff of daily life | Leave a comment

Dressing up for an outing

Posted on 12th May 2022 by Ian

It is the season of school outings. Yesterday morning, a teacher leading an overnight hike came to talk to each class taking part urging them to remember where they were going and to wear clothes appropriate for hill walking – … Continue reading →

Posted in Out and about | Leave a comment

Reading of an end to childhood

Posted on 10th May 2022 by Ian

Still sorting the boxes of books that arrived from High Ham last week. I put Sebastian Barry’s On Canaan’s Side on a shelf of novels. It is a book with a moment of sad beauty. ‘Mr Nolan used to read … Continue reading →

Posted in Unreliable memories | Leave a comment

Voltaire in the village

Posted on 9th May 2022 by Ian

One of the most memorable things about growing up in our small Somerset village was the inculcation of respect for the values and beliefs of everyone, no matter how odd those beliefs might seem to those of us who took … Continue reading →

Posted in This sceptred isle | Leave a comment