Diana Wynne Jones’ children's fantasy “Howl’s Moving Castle” starts: “In the land of Ingary… it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out...
This post is a day early, because tomorrow I shall be at a family event in Birmingham. I am finding Facebook, although terrifyingly time-wasting, a source of a lot of innocent fun, gossip and useful information (as well as those pesky cats). (I'm still refusing to...
Greetings on a sad day. International Last night someone in a lorry mowed down and killed eighty-four people who were celebrating Bastille Day in Nice. May God help the bereaved and injured, the security services, politicians and media in France, and anyone in the country who is or...
By the way, it has been pointed out to me that my unscientific recap of Jane Austen-themed works foolishly omitted the film "Clueless", an excellent updated version of "Emma". Including it would have helped to redress the balance away from the otherwise rather dominant "Pride...
There is a time to be born, and a time to die. There is a time to fall into despair about the state of the nation. But let’s take a break from that. Let’s KEEP CALM AND READ JANE AUSTEN. Jane Austen is a unique author. Consider: She wrote six novels (Pride and...
So I switched on the TV this morning, and found that the UK had voted to leave the EU. I have not made any secret of my own view, and so this result frightens and upsets me. (Of course I could be wrong.) As I keep telling...
The horrific events in Orlando and Birstall need no comment from me, to add to those already out there. Let's pray. And in the meantime...
The wonderful American etiquette writer Miss Manners once received a query from someone who was worried about what to do when shown photos of her friend’s ugly grandchild. Should she lie? Miss Manners responded, “It is not a lie. All brides and all babies are...
The second thing for which God is responsible, and which surely must have been planned by Him, is the passage of time. (For the first thing, see God’s Responsibility 1, 13th May.) It looks from the New Testament as if all its writers, and Jesus Himself, expected...
NB This post is two days late, due to weekend gallivant to Hereford and Worcester, and technical difficulties. My apologies. Last week was Christian Aid Week, as I’m sure you know. I went out to collect from my usual street, which I’ve been visiting for somewhere...