The magic of Saint Nick
Writing the date on the whiteboard, I announced to the Year 11 group, “it’s Saint Nicholas’ Day.” They looked dubious, “isn’t that Christmas Day?” Asked one girl. Across much of Northern Europe, it is the feast of Santa Claus: Christmas draws closer. Frosty days will see the Christmas markets in medieval European towns and cities; there will be lights and … [continue reading …]
After the 1918 general election
Today is the centenary of the British General Election of 1918, the centenary of the first time opportunity for women to vote. It is the centenary of the election of the first woman, in the constituency of Dublin: Saint Patrick’s, Constance Markievicz, a Sunn Féin candidate, defeated the existing Member of Parliament, taking two-thirds of the vote in the poor, … [continue reading …]
Bad schools
The BBC series “School” was a depressing reflection of the English state education system. Academised, under-funded, governed by budgets and statistics, it seems very far away from the memories many people will have of school life. Education has become governed by grades, schools are judged not on producing well-rounded young adults who will play a positive part in society, but … [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 …]
A reassuring tread
It was once said to me that as one grows older one becomes more and more concerned about less and less, perhaps it was an attempt at a explanation of the propensity of some older people to seem inordinately concerned with matters that seem trivial to most, but have the capacity to cause alarm and upset for the person affected. … [continue reading …]
Santa is safer than Mary and Joseph
In Spanish-speaking countries and in the Philippines, today marked the first day of the Misa de Gallo, the nine dawn Masses leading up to Christmas, Masses celebrated to mark the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. The tradition is that they took nine days to make the 145km journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The tradition suggests that they travelled … [continue reading …]
Vermeer and the modern world
Google today invites its users to explore The Girl with the Pearl Earring and other works by the Dutch Seventeenth Century painter Johannes Vermeer. The artist who once had to give the local baker a painting in order to settle an unpaid bill for bread would be bemused at his works now selling for tens of millions The work of Vermeer seems … [continue reading …]
Out on the floor
Northern Soul November is drawing towards a close. A month of music by artists of whom most people have not heard whose songs often enjoyed little by way of commercial success. In fact, it seemed that a lack of commercial success was almost a requirement for Northern Soul fans. Northern Soul was about dance, it was about gathering at venues … [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 …]