4th March 2016 In General By Penelope Wallace

Reasons for spring (or other) cleaning

Did anyone make a New Year’s Resolution this year to keep their house, office or computer files cleaner or tidier?  I don’t want to discourage you if you have. As everyone who visits my house probably guesses, I have been conducting a scientific experiment for some...

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26th February 2016 In General By Penelope Wallace

California

Greetings once again. Being a very privileged person, I have just returned from 10 days in California (husband at scientific convention in San Diego; wife along for the ride).  I do not intend to describe the trip here – the place for that is Facebook, face-to-face,...

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12th February 2016 In General By Penelope Wallace

On art, history and the story, by Ian S

The second guest on the blog is Ian Storer.  All the pictures on the site that are not maps or photographs are his work (see the World, Books and SWM sections).  A visit to his website (scipio6.wix.com/scipio-designs) displays more of his artwork in drawing and...

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5th February 2016 In General By Penelope Wallace

What we don’t get a referendum on

Like most people, I wear many hats (metaphorically).  Readers of this blog will have become familiar with the woolly bobble-hat of my Christian/churchwarden mode, and also with the frilly bonnet of my writer-and-reader/book-lover persona.  But there are others, and today I’m wearing the flat cap...

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15th January 2016 In General By Penelope Wallace

Jeremy Corbyn – a literary comparison

Before I begin on that, here is a PS to a previous post. On 8th Jan, I mentioned Anthony Trollope’s Barsetshire series, and one of his most famous characters, Mrs Proudie.  Some of my readers may be old enough to recall the 1982 BBC TV series,...

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5th January 2016 In General By Penelope Wallace

Christmas TV

Hugh Bonneville (National Treasure) is one of my Discoveries.  I have quite a good future-star-spotting technique that works in reverse. Like this: I watch a TV episode or a film; I notice a particularly hapless, camp or unappealing character, and I think, “Poor guy (the actor). ...

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29th December 2015 In General By Penelope Wallace

Post-Christmas gratitude

Festive greetings to all. (Warning: high saccharine content) A few days ago, I let rip on the subject of the excessive pressure on people, spiritual and otherwise, of the Christmas season.  Although the season is not over (12 days!) it has peaked, and I am now in...

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4th December 2015 In General By Penelope Wallace

The debate on bombing IS/Daesh in Syria

  This is a very brief post, because my ignorance is great, and my understanding shallow.   I have three thoughts to offer:   The absolutely crucial thing (I was particularly aware of this at the time of our intervention in Afghanistan after 9/11) is for all sides in the...

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