The summertime is coming
As a cousin reminded me, it was Nan’s birthday on Saturday. Nan would have been 106, had she not decided that enough was enough at the age of 94, dying in her own bed on the farm to which she had come as a young bride seventy-two years previously. Returning to England for Nan’s funeral in 2007, I met someone … [continue reading …]
Shaping an image
Having passed her commemorative bust in Dublin’s Saint Stephen’s Green on many occasions, the thought never occurred to me that Constance Markievicz might appear in the media dressed in anything other than the uniform of the Irish Citizen Army. The present exhibition of portraits of Constance Markievicz in the National Gallery in Dublin suggests that there were competing images of … [continue reading …]
Hidden oldies
It was the “Wednesday whines” on the BBC Radio 6 breakfast show. People email the station with things that irritate them, petty annoyances that get under the skin. It is meant to be a humorous feature (well, I hope it is, surely people don’t count those things as really mattering?). First World problems doesn’t approach capturing how trivial are some … [continue reading …]
TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER NOTICE ,
This was spammed by Google. It is very amateurish. Zenith Bank (UK) Ltd 39 Cornhill London EC3V 3ND United Kingdom tel: +44 70 8646 8527 Fax:+447043071539 Dear Esteemed Customer, TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER NOTICE. We are hereby officially notify you concerning your fund Telegraphic Transfer through our bank, Zenith Bank (UK) Ltd United Kingdom, to your bank account, which has been officially … [continue reading …]
Twelfth Night in Somerset
Always a sceptical race, suspicious of innovation and resentful about change, it took the English one hundred and seventy years to accept the Gregorian calendar. Introduced by Pope Gregory in 1582, it was not introduced in England until 1752. The New Year then began on Lady Day, 25th March and twelve day shift in the dates was not going to … [continue reading …]
Sunday thoughts for the Baptism of the Lord, Sunday, 13th January 2019
” . . . when Jesus also had been baptized” Luke 3:21 The letters A, B, C and D can help thoughts about the story of the baptism of Jesus: A for “all”, B for “baptized”, C for “Christ”, and D for “dove. A is for “all.” Saint Luke uses the word “all” three times in the verses of the … [continue reading …]
Oh for the 1990s!
BBC Radio 6’s Steve Lamacq asked listeners for memories of their 1990s email addresses. One listener, a Kate Bush fan said her address had included, “itsmecathy, from Kate Bush’s song Wuthering Heights. It had led people to mistakenly assume her own name was Cathy, when it was Clare. Clare was lucky to be able to choose her own address. Going … [continue reading …]
Loving Motown
There were two anniversaries this week according to Johnny Walker on BBC Radio 2. It is sixty years since the foundation of the Motown record label, and forty-nine years since Diana Ross left The Supremes to embark upon a solo career. A onetime friend of sorts would have probably dismissed any Motown track in less than complimentary terms. “Pretentious rubbish”, … [continue reading …]
Settling the account
This story was expanded from a piece of flash fiction. It was entered for this year’s RTÉ Francis McManus Short Story Competition. The evening classes at the college gave her the opportunity. It was a computing class that had taught her to use the Internet, something of which she had been frightened. It had been the stories in the papers … [continue reading …]