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  • The art of slow

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    I stumbled upon a lovely wee book in a cavern of a second hand bookshop called The Philosophy of Slowness…. or something similar. Needless to say, I took my time chewing over the words. Now I can’t find the book on our reorganised shelves, so my need for slowness has…

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  • The Yellow Palm

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    As I made my way down Palestine Street I watched a funeral pass all the women waving lilac stems around a coffin made of glass and the face of the man who lay within who had breathed a poison gas. As I made my way down Palestine Street I heard…

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  • I have been tested

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    The Errigle took my forehead temperature…I passed and was beckoned to a quiet room at the back of the bar. A pint quenched my thirst. The seafood chowder was excellent. I was at Knockbracken Health Centre for my annual diabetic eye screening. I passed. They couldn’t tell me, but Specsavers…

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  • Peace of Mind

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    Cycling really took off this last year and people are spending hefty sums of money on bikes. My own bike is a Boardman hybrid ebike and is the most expensive bike I’ve ever bought. Locks are essential and U locks are the hardest to cut through. Unfortunately, a U lock…

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    Macular Degeneration

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    Medical terminology can be a bit frightening. Morbidly obese, macular degeneration and terminally facetious are just two medical descriptions that apply to myself. You would think that I might respond with a concerted effort to remedy the situation. The macular degeneration is just a natural consequence of ageing with a…

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  • Albert Camus

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    I first read Monsieur Camus when I was 15 Possibly a bit young for Camus’ worldview, but I copied my older brother’s choice of paperback literature unashamedly. Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Franz Kafka, Colin Wilson et al played a part in my understanding of the world outside a rural English…

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  • Out of hours emails

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    Working from home during the pandemic increased the number of emails I sent and received. During a peak period of student activity at my university, the Transcripts section had about 500 emails to respond to. Luckily I had two colleagues who pitched in to help clear the backlog. The customer…

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  • Property is theft

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    The usual quotation is that all property is theft. In other words, the state should own everything, not just the means of production. Home ownership is encouraged in the UK. Margaret Thatcher told councils to offer their flats and houses on the open market, reducing the number of dwellings available…

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    Zaza zoom

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    Today I have lunched at Ryan’s and had dessert at Zaza’s. Ryan’s butternut squash risotto was tasty and the service quick and friendly. I gave up my seat at a bench table so that four guys could sit outside. Having viewed a house off the Lisburn Road, I went off…

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  • Belfast Cafe Society

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    Belfast is a delightful place to discover new pavement cafes that serve good coffee. Covid-19 forced many cafes to reinvent themselves as delivery/collection only type places. Others have been forced to wait it out until they can serve people at tables. One of my favourite bar/restaurants had a refurbishment that…

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