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A trip into the countryside

Yesterday afternoon I travelled up the M40 to visit my daughter Grace for only the second time since the end of February, almost three weeks before the UK’s lockdown began, when she had announced she was pregnant. A combination of the lockdown rules and a natural desire on her part to avoid risks [...]

June 24, 2020 // 0 Comments

Going ‘off piste’ for a moment

One of the Rust’s engaging features to my mind – consistent with comments made by many of its readers that write to me – is its unique and somewhat haphazard approach to its mission. I’ve lost count of those I fall into conversation with – especially those with connections to marketing [...]

June 22, 2020 // 0 Comments

Drifting towards we know not what

As – six months on and in a collective state of near-chaos – we dive into the coronavirus pandemic’s vast ocean waves crashing onto our section of the beach of global humanity it occurs to me that one item we are sadly lacking at this point – and the one thing we desperately need [...]

June 16, 2020 // 0 Comments

It’s going to get worse before it gets better

From today “non essential” shops in England can open for business provided that in advance they’ve rendered themselves ‘Covid-secure’ or whatever it was that Boris said they should. Obvious I cannot speak for any else’s view of how things are going for the UK at the moment, but mine is [...]

June 15, 2020 // 0 Comments

Coming to terms with the world

I approach my subject for today – the current “Let’s contextualise, or preferably rid the world, of every symbol that could be deemed to represent or celebrate a nation’s historical past that is contrary to – or out of touch with – modern sensitivities” movement that is sweeping [...]

June 12, 2020 // 0 Comments

The state of opinion forming (not informed opinion)

My contribution today comes from my perspective as a privileged, white, sixty-something male with no particular political axe to grind – which description in itself probably marks me as someone who has as many weaknesses (and lack of appreciation of the world’s problems) in terms of his genes, [...]

June 10, 2020 // 0 Comments

It takes all sorts

One aspect of the ongoing pandemic crisis that occasionally irritates me is the stupidity of other people. There, I’ve admitted it. No doubt it springs from my own smugness, racism, snobbery, personal stupidity and arrogant lack of tolerance; however, I cannot help it – listening to people [...]

June 5, 2020 // 0 Comments

Coronavirus percentages and life chances

Here’s a link to an article by Professor Karol Sikora on the pandemic and the current factors – and the “at risk” groups prey to them – that appeared overnight on the website of the – DAILY MAIL No doubt there’ll be many people – like me – going [...]

June 3, 2020 // 0 Comments

Women and sport

It is arguable that one of the greatest casualties of the global coronavirus pandemic has been the last half century’s advancement of female equality. Already it has been reported that, in direct consequence of the UK lockdown, female employees has been more likely to be furloughed and/or [...]

May 30, 2020 // 0 Comments

What’s Going On – as Marvin Gaye might have sung …

To borrow a phrase, democracy is a many-splendoured thing but also – as to paraphrase Churchill – that is, if it wasn’t one of those clever/profound bon mots he didn’t actually say or write but which people fondly attribute to him because it sounds like the sort of thing he might have [...]

May 29, 2020 // 0 Comments

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