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  • Xenophobia

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    It is definitely racist to target foreign workers based on the colour of their skin. Eight families were forced out of the Ballycraigy estate in County Antrim where they had rented private accommodation. Nurses, desperately needed by the NHS in Northern Ireland, were the victims of these attacks along with…

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  • To buy or not to buy?

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    In January 2025 work will begin on our house. The renovation is pretty extensive with lots of insulation, new central heating, removal of the wall between the kitchen and dining room and new windows and doors. We are also getting a new bathroom suite and a new kitchen.. We will…

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  • Pet minding

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    Our son and his fiancée entrusted us to come over and look after Cora, a two year old Labrador. Our other son adores Cora and lets her lick the skin off him. I had asked for some notes because we hadn’t done this before. All went very well. Cora would…

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  • What price art?

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    There is an auction site that I frequently browse to look at paintings, prints and catalogues, mostly by Irish artists. I saw a watercolour come up for auction by A.B. Wynne titled Cows by the Lough. Starting bids were set at £20 and in the event I bought the framed…

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  • Genre fiction writing

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    I have signed up for evening classes at Queen’s university in genre fiction writing. Once a week for ten weeks I will meet like-minded people who enjoy creating something with words. It shouldn’t distract me from my distance learning philosophy course (according to my timetable). I haven’t done evening classes…

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  • Socialism or what?

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    As political ideas go, socialism is pretty dreadful, but compared with the alternative it has many good qualities. If we were to believe Margaret Thatcher, there is no such thing as ‘society’. Fortunately there are a bunch of people who recognise that communities pulling together for their common good fit…

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    Early morning tootle

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    An early start today, lots to do. Argentina vs Australia in the Rugby Championship was first on the agenda, then a trip to the bottle bank at Malone House and then …too early still for most purveyors of good coffee…so a nice tootle along the Lagan into town. Tried my…

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  • Aesthetics

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    Entering into the conceptual space created by an artist sounds a bit poncy, but all it really means is making an effort to engage with the work. There’s a small gallery locally that has some interesting works of art. This took my fancy… My interest in art is partly due…

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  • Less is more

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    I am enjoying Carol Ann Duffy’s online poetry classes. She is an easy listen and a very good communicator. She described how she used haikus to write a poem about Dorothy Wordsworth. Its tight structure of three lines comprising 5 syllables 7 syllables and 5 syllables means that every word…

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  • Spend and cut

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    While I am pondering the problems of Keir Starmer’s government, a comment or two about mixed economies might be timely. If you are a party with socialist principles you are expected to maintain the safety net for those in need. That comes with a cost and finding the money for…

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