Category Archives: This sceptred isle

In an age when all of the information in the world is available on the device in one’s pocket, it seems extraordinary that the mistakes of history might be repeated, that the same things would be believed. Read the history of … Continue reading →

Two lorries passed along the country road, one a greengrocer’s van and one from an oil merchant. The first was pale green with lettering in yellow, the second a deep red with blue and white detail, both probably dated from … Continue reading →

The Guardian newspaper described it as “a bruising week in a difficult year” for Prime Minister Theresa May. Were I the prime minister sitting down to Sunday lunch in Downing Street or Chequers, I think I would feel rather contented at … Continue reading →

A neighbour who lived across the fields in rural Co Down used to tell of going to a horse race meeting at Downpatrick with a group of friends from work. Lurking around the entrance was a man offering brown envelopes … Continue reading →

Against the background of a Northern Ireland election campaign, I had called at the woman’s house. Her mother was seriously ill, her husband suffered a long-term debilitating condition, and she was struggling with the accounts of the family business. A … Continue reading →