Hooked on hopium
The CIA have an unofficial motto: ‘And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free’ (John…
Driving in fog
September is the month of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ – an appropriate time for businesses to plan for the final…
The song of Suffolkski
“It’s been a difficult year to be a Russian here in the UK, yes?” I opened. “Not really. Always like…
Changing the conversation
In my imagination, I have transported myself back to 2017, when the world was recognisably normal, and we actually flew…
The banquet of the damned
Cambodia. A fleet of tuk-tuks have just ferried five hundred people into the jungle from the swankiest hotels in Siem…
Filling up the coffers
It’s time to go to work. My interest in being a full time parent/ teacher/ carer/ minder/ playmate/ bottle washer/…
The magic box
“Here is a box, a musical box. Wound up and ready to play. But this box can hide a secret…
The salesman
I have two hand made suits. To get into them again I will have to shed some weight – they…
A coral cradle
The instructor pointed at my son, gently swimming over the wreck of the WWII US warship 3 metres below us,…
Sons of Sparta
“Where are you from?” enquires the mayor of Olympia. My son tells him we are from Brighton. We expect a…