Last week, I finally saw compelling evidence of a highly infectious obsession among our children. I was in a pine forest in rural Sweden, among deer, wood anemones and goldfinches, …
More +The devil wears Primark
Apparently, there are two types of buyer: sweatshop-conscious, eco-conscious (and rich) people who buy expensive, durable, long-lasting clothes, and evil people who go to Primark and get a fresh pair …
More +The day the waxwing came
The icy North Wind blew us a mysterious guest this January. It arrived on our balcony unseen, caught us aware, touched our hearts, and left a poo. I looked up, …
More +Mwah! One kiss or two?
In England, when I grew up, kissing or not kissing women on the cheek was a class issue. Lots of people think the English don’t do the kiss on the …
More +In praise of air travel
Would you consider a one- or two-stop flight from London to India? Or would you click the ‘direct flights only’ button every time? How about 21 stops, plus a rail …
More +Trump: the damning verdict
The media (that I read) has tried to restrain itself in the fallout of the US election. It’s attempted to remain unbiased. It’s not Fox News, after all. It has …
More +Get off my land
I love Rupert the Bear. There, I’ve put it out there. Anyway, I was reading my son one of the ancient Rupert the Bear Annuals the other day – those …
More +Would you like sugar with that?
Swedes love sugar. Seriously, they’re sugar monsters. I know what you’re thinking: who isn’t? But where other nations mix the sweet stuff with other vices – be they fags, booze …
More +I can explain everything
This week, I came across the term ‘mansplaining’ – a great word for that tendency of men to explain things to women, including what women think. An article in Prospect …
More +Let’s all move to the Med
When pandemics and waning prosperity finally loosen the Northern European grip on travel, will we look back on our years in the sun and wonder why we didn’t colonise the …
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