England 4 Germany 2

As we approach the end of 2018 many memories and anniversaries greet us. Nothing more significant than the end of the “war to end all wars”, 1914-1818, which claimed 19 million lives and 23 million serious injuries. Worse, it laid a foundation for WW2, just 21 years later, which claimed 60 million more lives.On Christmas Day 1914,

in the long term, we’re all dead.

Mon 8 Oct 2018 Protesters against Kavanaugh in Washington Guardian reporter Nesrine Maliktoday wrote “There are no silver linings to Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation” to the highest court in the USA, as “the history of women’s activism shows the virtue of persistence”. It has ever been so. Remember Suffragette Emily Davison, who threw herself under the

Dreams and Reality

Theresa May had a childhood dream to become Prime Minister.Most healthy people have dreams as youngsters of their future.Mine was to play for Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.But in one’s teenage years such dreams invariably evaporate, and you get on with the game of life. Theresa’s didn’t.The dream remained her driving force until 2016, when following

I will always love you

Happy Birthday Helen Robertson (left).I love both you and Helen Singleton (right).I also love your husbands, Barry and Carl.The shot was taken in New Jersey in the early 1970s.

Happy 44th Wedding Anniversary

Saturday 14 September 1974 was a special day for my good friend John Wade, born 1945 in Watford.He married a canny Scot, Kathy Wade, who gave birth to two gifted girls, Caroline and Clementine.I know, I was in the flat above theirs when Caroline arrived on the scene. She now has a daughter of epic

Imagine Carl, just imagine

I took a call from my Best Man in 1976, Carl Olsen, on the evening of my 68th birthday.It’s a long standing tradition.The fact Carl now lives next to the beach in New South Wales, Australia simply adds to the fun . It was midnight there, but this time he rang from a hospital bed.His

2018, a new beginning

Ernest Hemingway once said “Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today” I heard this immortal line again at last weekend’s obituaries of the legendary John McCain.  September has always been a special

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha Franklin died today.The awesome Queen of Soul music passed away.She sang that the ever one who could ever reach her was the son of a preacher man.And he made her feel like a natural woman.She sang more Hallelujah’s per chorus than any one I’ve ever heard.Freedom, freedom, freedom.You led the call my love, from

Mrs May’s nightmare

Little girls often dream of marrying a prince.I know.I have a granddaughter who does it all the time, And Theresa May as a little dot was no different.Her dream was to be Prime Minister. It didn’t matter what policy’s she had to support.Just to be there, centre stage, was enough.And that’s how it’s been so

Muslim claptrap

Very funny BorisOr was it serious?You will be aware of the John Cleese sketch in Fawlty Towers “Don’t mention the war”. But whereas the Cleese interpretation was obviously comic, your take on likening veiled Muslim women wearing burkas to letter boxes and bank robbers wasn’t a rib tickler.Boris, this is your problem.You act as a comic.Not a statesman. Your