Category Archives: This sceptred isle

The August bank holiday, the last shout of summer. The M5 motorway is filled with traffic, people searching for a bit of happiness, a bit of fun. A prayer said to have come from the wall of an inn in … Continue reading →

In the days before the Internet, the days of the very distant past before the establishment of local radio stations, to hear any reference to local places was rare. Of course, the local newspaper carried snippets from around the villages, … Continue reading →

If I had to choose my favourite line in an English novel, it would be the final sentence of Monica Ali’s Brick Lane, where one of the characters declares, “This is England, you can do whatever you like.” It seemed an … Continue reading →

Cornish pasty and chips, it must be nearly the ultimate in excess. Brought up to believe that a pasty was a complete meal in itself, with meat, potato, and vegetables,  a voice echoes down the years suggesting that there is … Continue reading →

To be honest, I had not expected the meeting to proceed. Announced before the England team reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, its starting time was to be the very moment when the football match kicked off. Checking the … Continue reading →