I grew up thinking that the world would be forever divided between Communism and Capitalism, the West, and the East, for which reason the end of the Cold War with the complete intellectual defeat of socialism as an ideology came as a surprise. No one foresaw in 1980 that ten years later there would be […]
The Battle for Everything Read More »
As a regular user of Trainline, the one-stop-shop website for rail travel in the UK and Europe, I receive many unsolicited emails from them most of which I ignore. But I’m a sucker for an email that is headed ‘Congratulations Roger’, as I assume they are going to offer me something. So it was when
OK readers, you can already guess where this diatribe is heading. I agree that to ‘our’ 650 hangers-on, £1million is the sort of loose change found down the back of their John Lewis expense account sofas. To the rest of us though, here in normal-land, it’s still a good premium bond or lottery windfall. What
The Church of England’s General Synod is sipping not so much communion wine as guzzling identity politics’ moonshine. Rather than telling perpetually aggrieved activists that Christ advocates forgiveness, Synod has decided to cough up a billion pounds in reparations for the Church’s historic profits from the transatlantic slave trade. At a time when church buildings
The Mother of all Reparations Read More »
I was taken to Hadrian’s Wall as a kid by my parents. Being Scottish, we were keen to see this mighty structure; built to keep us out of England and confined to our native land. And this was long before the SNP were in charge. We were somewhat underwhelmed -we had a higher wall around
Hadrian’s Stonewall Read More »
I have to confess as a fully paid up member of the Patriarchy, International Women’s Day has never really done it for me. It does take the shine rather unsportingly off the wife-beating, rape and misogyny if you have to pretend to give a shit about the feminist cause in the process. But that was
International Women’s Day Read More »
The following was written almost ten years ago as Britain sought to extricate itself from the European Union, but is as apposite now as it was then. Who would have thought that our overlords’ appeasement of Islam could get worse? And yet it has. As the weekly Hamas marches, the Rochdale buy-election and the treatment of
Islam Needs Taking in Hand Read More »
From pantomimes in church halls to adaptations of books in provincial theatres to RSC productions at the Barbican, I have enjoyed a lot of theatre in my time. Who my fellow audience members might be has never determined whether I watch a play or not. Even school children at matinees do not put me off
No to ‘Black Out’ Performances Read More »
I am a member of an oppressed minority. Unlike other groups which claim that label, however, I have no legal protections to defend me from bigotry. No-one touts their “allyship” with me. Nor are there well-funded campaigns telling people to be nice to me. I just have to suck up my status as a second-class
In Defence of Classics Read More »
The original Mary Poppins was released in 1964 and it has been recognised as a classic ever since, with a rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 88% of Google users liking the film. It even won five Oscars. Clearly, the public has taken it to heart and a sequel was made. However, as usual,
Having a Pop at Mary Read More »
