In an earlier post about education I mentioned how an ability for maths and sciences, physics in particular, helped me achieve an exhibition to Oxford. Physics is actually quite an interesting word. The word physics has a history stretching back more than two thousand...

Since I mentioned Strictly Come Dancing yesterday, let’s make strict today’s word of the day. But before I do that, I have just realised that tracing the roots of words to Latin and other languages is exactly the teaching device that Sir Anthony Standen is using in...

We were supposed to be going on holiday to Sicily last month, but an eruption of Mount Etna closed the airport and scuppered our holiday. I had been trying to learn Italian using Babbel (other apps are available), and I am continuing to do so. In my lesson today...

It’s the season of Strictly Come Dancing and The Celebrity Traitors for TV viewing in our household. What on earth was Richard E Grant thinking? The word traitor has a history stretching back more than two thousand years, with its origins in Latin and a fascinating...

As I choose my word for the day, riots are taking place in France against hardship in schools and the cost of living. I like to be a few days ahead of myself for when I may not have the time to write a post. So whilst I sincerely hope the disorder in France will have...

Although my genre is specifically historical crime fiction, my Sir Anthony Standen Adventures can more generally be described as mystery novels. Which gives me an excellent opportunity to plug (again) the publication of Serpent’s Teeth on the 1st of November. The...

I’m currently waiting for our Aga to be serviced. So I’ve picked service as my word of the day. The word service has a long and fascinating history, beginning in the Roman world and evolving through medieval feudalism to acquire its many modern meanings. Its ultimate...

As I write the UK is being buffeted by Storm Austen, and tomorrow we are expecting Storm Boelo. So as part of my word of the day series let’s have a look at the word storm. Storm is one of the oldest words in the English language, with roots stretching back thousands...

In yesterday’s post I said that the Oxford University Golf Second Team was called the Divots. Our Cambridge opponents were the Stymies. To be stymied is to be obstructed, frustrated or prevented from achieving an objective. A politician may be stymied by parliamentary...

In an earlier post about education I mentioned how an ability for maths and sciences, physics in particular, helped me achieve an exhibition to Oxford. Physics is actually quite an interesting word. The word physics has a history stretching back more than two thousand...

Since I mentioned Strictly Come Dancing yesterday, let’s make strict today’s word of the day. But before I do that, I have just realised that tracing the roots of words to Latin and other languages is exactly the teaching device that Sir Anthony Standen is using in...

We were supposed to be going on holiday to Sicily last month, but an eruption of Mount Etna closed the airport and scuppered our holiday. I had been trying to learn Italian using Babbel (other apps are available), and I am continuing to do so. In my lesson today...

It’s the season of Strictly Come Dancing and The Celebrity Traitors for TV viewing in our household. What on earth was Richard E Grant thinking? The word traitor has a history stretching back more than two thousand years, with its origins in Latin and a fascinating...

As I choose my word for the day, riots are taking place in France against hardship in schools and the cost of living. I like to be a few days ahead of myself for when I may not have the time to write a post. So whilst I sincerely hope the disorder in France will have...

Although my genre is specifically historical crime fiction, my Sir Anthony Standen Adventures can more generally be described as mystery novels. Which gives me an excellent opportunity to plug (again) the publication of Serpent’s Teeth on the 1st of November. The...

I’m currently waiting for our Aga to be serviced. So I’ve picked service as my word of the day. The word service has a long and fascinating history, beginning in the Roman world and evolving through medieval feudalism to acquire its many modern meanings. Its ultimate...

As I write the UK is being buffeted by Storm Austen, and tomorrow we are expecting Storm Boelo. So as part of my word of the day series let’s have a look at the word storm. Storm is one of the oldest words in the English language, with roots stretching back thousands...

In yesterday’s post I said that the Oxford University Golf Second Team was called the Divots. Our Cambridge opponents were the Stymies. To be stymied is to be obstructed, frustrated or prevented from achieving an objective. A politician may be stymied by parliamentary...