The second life of throw-away lines As is so often the case, it was just a chance remark, a throw-away line — the fluttering of wings that sparked distant consequences — with unlikely life-changing impacts. …

We rise to play a greater part — (Update 2021) A year on from its original publication, I bring these words to the attention of new readers — especially to those followers gained during this continuing pandemic struggle. The turmoil and confusion that has so destabilized our worlds should be seen in the context of past disruptions. From…

Maybe not. Late up again, this morning. I open the curtains to let in the new daylight. Just over the road, I see a well-ordered, socially distanced, queue of masked parents, each with a toddler or two, waiting for school to begin. Those youngsters, at the start of their schooling…

Lines we crossed in 2020 Whether marking success or failure, the lines we crossed will now, not be erased. They’re often crossed — for sure. Others, pass unnoticed, ’til shattered shocks are seen, across a new divide. We see a tide of new awareness. We see some, swept or dragged along, and more were left behind. Count your crossings — joys, regrets, confusions, And trust lines shattered. But hope for better,

Senior wisdom for junior minds — Two books landed on the doormat last week. Senator Bernie Sanders’ latest entreaty was not far ahead of Jon Snow’s ruminations on ‘The State of Us’. …

When the balloon goes up Forty years ago, when our children were not yet in Secondary, our evening meal sometimes included an unexpected guest. It was more than likely that Alan, ‘the Apple Man’, would turn up just when we were on ‘thin rations’ — a meal already stretched and…

There will be many who will criticise Tory MP Chris Skidmore’s 340-page Mission Zero report. They’ll probably say it doesn’t reach far enough, is far too obsessed with business benefits, and doesn’t question the UK’s woefully inadequate 2050 Net Zero target. Climate activists may be appalled that the report doesn’t…

Casual Christmas chat reveals generational gulf — and floods of tears. The parental moment of dread: the annual return of the young ones, partners, and offspring, full of new-fangled figuring and keen to press home their urgent pleas. …

Misty mornings, monetary mayhem, mixed messages, but mostly mobilisation. Autumnal anxieties for young people may mostly be provoked by the new term after the relative freedoms of the long break. …