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Emergency services, which service do you require – ambulance, fire, police or coastguard? Um…the police I suppose. Hold the line caller, connecting you now. South Wales Police control centre, please …
Daffodil time
Perhaps because of the mild winter, the yellow explosion of daffodils (Narcissus) seems to have come slightly earlier than usual this year, adding garish colour to public parks, roadside verges, …
Artes Mundi 8
As I ascended the steps of the National Museum I consciously attempted to clear my head of any preconceptions – an essential exercise if one is to get to grips …
Coriander candour
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an interesting plant. A member of the huge Apium genus of umbellifers, closely related to other important culinary plants such as caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, cumin, …
History lesson
“The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time” was one of the most prescient quotes of the 20th century. The …
Dic’s hoedown
♫♫♫ To the tune of Battle Hymn Of The Republic Mine eyes have seen the horror of the coming of the fraud, He is trampling on the values where enlightenment …
A fair wind in the Willows
As I gradually get stronger and more able to do mundane things like gardening, cooking and housework, I’m finding that the toughest physical challenge of all is, perhaps surprisingly, writing. …
Dic is unwell
My partner Dic Mortimer has been seriously ill in hospital during the last month. Thankfully this week he was allowed home to start the process of convalescence and recovery. Therefore …
Winterminable
On a frosty early morning, with dawn just breaking, I was fetching the food caddy from the shed to put out for the bin-men when I heard a loud, rhythmic …
Last card
After Christmas dinner was over and everything was cleared away, he wanted to play cards. He wanted to play a game of hearts. ♣ The accumulated memories of his 94 …
