Election Special We are about halfway through this election campaign. ‘Two bald men squabbling about the ownership of a comb’ was Borges’ verdict on the UK war with the Argentine about the Falklands. That isn’t a fair description of this election. None of the major party leaders are bald, unless you count John Swinney. ButContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 128”
Author Archives: europhilevicar
Through a glass darkly – 127
En Marche We are just back from a family holiday in Barneville-Carteret [see TaGD 126]. As a resort it reminds me strongly of French life of an earlier age. My first French textbook, starting the language at CH in 1956, was called En Marche. The following year we progressed to the second book En Route.Continue reading “Through a glass darkly – 127”
Through a glass darkly – 126
The BBC are pushing the boat out this week for the 80th anniversary of D-Day; the biggest opposed military landing in history. There are reconstructions every night this week, with live broadcasts from Portsmouth and from Normandy on Wednesday and Thursday. And a variety of D-Day films. My abiding memory of The Longest Day isContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 126”
Through a glass darkly – 125
Clearing out So, we are busy clearing stuff out in anticipation of selling the house and moving to a retirement apartment in Hexham. [Spoiler alert: We won’t move to Hexham, but it was the only thing that McCarthy and Stone could offer when I looked on their website for a retirement apartment in or aroundContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 125”
Through a glass darkly – 124
Back to school again With hindsight I may have over-invested in the 60 Years On reunion down at CH. It was a long way down and back on the train, and involved two nights in a modest but friendly hotel in Horsham. For what was in truth a modest event: mid-morning gathering for coffee; aContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 124”
Through a glass darkly – 123
On the home front We have been back from Grenoble for some ten days. It has rained steadily each day, and the boiler has gone on the blink. In the garden the ground is sodden, and I am wondering whether to allow the pond to overflow and turn it into a boating lake. The onlyContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 123”
Through a glass darkly – 122
Leaving Grenoble For Good Friday evening we had a Tenebrae service in the smaller chapel in the Centre St Marc. About twenty people came, for a service largely put together by David Bailey. It was a sober, thoughtful time in the semi-darkness, a selection of short readings and music culminating with Allegri’s Miserere. On SaturdayContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 122”
Through a glass darkly – 121
Grenoble Our time here in Grenoble is already drawing to a close. Susie returns to Edinburgh later this week, on Thursday morning. Craig and the girls will arrive in Edinburgh late on [Good] Friday, in time for the memorial event for Craig’s sister, Linsey, which will be held over in Fife on Saturday afternoon. IContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 121”
Through a glass darkly – 120
Grenoble We have been in Grenoble for two weeks. Grenoble is a most attractive city in south east France, at the foot of the French Alps, where the river Drac joins the Isère. It is surrounded by three glorious massifs, and is closer to mountains than any city in Europe, with the possible exception ofContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 120”
Through a glass darkly – 119
[un]Pop-Cons Tories want war chalked on the brickwork of a railway bridge is my first ‘political’ memory. The bridge was opposite Southfields station on the London Underground. It was probably the 1950 election. And the war reference may [or may not] have related to Korea. That memory is triggered by the launch of a newContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 119”
Through a glass darkly 