A Thinking Man

No, it wasn’t a lightning bolt (though that would have been much more effective). It was a metal bolt that sheared off and caused a minor problem that needed to be repaired. And because it needed to be repaired, the ferry, the Isle of Arran, was drafted in to replace the Isle of [...]

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I remember that there was something deliciously naughty in the air when the Chief Executive’s secretary got on board and sat next to us at the start of a long journey.
She was being sent to take minutes at a meeting. He was travelling by car so that he could claim generous mileage and take his [...]

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I remember the sinking feeling when a former colleague spotted me on the home station and decided to sit next to me for the whole of the two and a half hour journey. He had retired about 5 years previously and although I had worked closely with him in a professional capacity, to be honest, [...]

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At one point in my career I did occasional consultancy work for a company that paid First Class rail fare. Rather than travel Second Class and pocket the difference, I decided to try out the luxury.
I remember feeling young, too casual, and slightly out of place amongst the few older suits. And then, once the [...]

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I can remember a dreadful journey from Norwich to Goole when I was 22.
It was my first serious job interview. I was feeling awkward and
overwhelmed. In my blind haste to get off the train and get to the
interview I opened the carriage door (it was a long time ago) and fell
several feet onto the track-side.
The [...]

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I’ve been away for a few days, happily wandering around the city of York - happy, that is, until I saw a snack bar.
 
There was nothing wrong with the particular establishment (perhaps apart from its run-down look and linguisitcally dated title), but the words ’snack bar’ caused some momentary confusion.
Anywhere else, a snack bar would [...]

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Sorry, but this amused me.
The Guardian is running a  competition to see what witty slogans readers can come up with as alternatives to the existing slogans on the Atheist Bus Advertising Campaign.  Supporters of the original campaign, which had the slogan, “THERE’S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.” could perhaps do with [...]

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On a recent visit to Liverpool my wife and I couldn’t but help notice that there were a lot of new shops and offices being built.  If you walk from the docks to the city centre it is hard not to get the impression that you are walking on a nice new path through a [...]

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I originally posted this over a year ago, but decided it was time to give it another whirl …
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These are the important lessons I learned on a recent holiday trip abroad:
1. However much time you allow yourself to get to the airport in good time, it will never be enough to account for the civil [...]

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Truly. Honestly. Without a doubt.  It was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. When I finally registered the two horses, I nearly choked on my house red.
Ok.  We are not made of money and had spent most of it on the hotel.  The Crowne Plaza, Liverpool, provided a brief window of luxury [...]

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