Newts in Space
Today I shall write about newts. In a recent post I mentioned that both Claire and I had seen a newt in our garden pond. I can report great news: Claire has seen two together. She managed to photograph one. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they are a breeding pair...
Dalgleish, Research, and Cabs
I think authors should should do their research and avoid as many errors as possible. My wife Claire is a retired barrister. We both enjoy crime fiction and TV crime dramas. However sometimes the errors are simply too abundant. We’ve become used to the pathologist who...
Westwood Manor, Newts, and a Virginal
On Wednesday Claire and I visited Westwood Manor, a nearby National Trust property. King Ethelred II (the Unready) granted the land to his thegn, Alfnoth in AD983. For three centuries three families lived on the manor: Culverhouse (1434 - 1500), Horton (1518 -1609)...
Time and Space
I want to talk about time and space, but I’m not going to try and reconcile quantum theory with relativity. I’m interested, but incapable. My cousin Bill and his wife Sue are over from Canada, and we gave them a tour of Oxford and Bath. Bill’s knee was giving him some...
Red Herrings – Devil May Care 2023 – DNA
DNA is part of what makes us who we are, and DNA analysis is an important part of crime detection now. Talking of which, I have just finished reading the latest edition of Red Herrings, the bulletin of the Crime Writers Association. As usual, several nuggets caught my...
Does Government “Do God?” – Forced and Coercive Marriages – Cinderella
Colin Bloom led a review into government’s relationship with religious faiths. The government recently published his report Does government ‘do God?’ Bloom divides the population into true believers, non-believers, and make-believers. The clarity of the first two...
Racism vs(?) Antisemitism
Is there a difference between anti-semitism and racism? The Labour Party have suspended Diane Abbot as an MP following her comments in a letter to the Observer. She wrote that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people “undoubtedly experience prejudice", which she said is...
Seven Best Quotes on Writing
Why seven best quotes on writing? My publicist Brian Feinblum posted some advice on blog posts for selling books today. He says you have to have a catchy title like seven best, 6 ways to, 9 benefits of, etc. I thought I’d try following his advice, so here goes. I’ve...
Vikings and the Irish
Brian Boru defeated the Vikings in Ireland on this day in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf. It must have been quite a battle because all the leaders died. It wasn’t simply a battle between the Irish and the Vikings, because the Vikings were allied to the Irish king of...
Newts in Space
Today I shall write about newts. In a recent post I mentioned that both Claire and I had seen a newt in our garden pond. I can report great news: Claire has seen two together. She managed to photograph one. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they are a breeding pair...
Dalgleish, Research, and Cabs
I think authors should should do their research and avoid as many errors as possible. My wife Claire is a retired barrister. We both enjoy crime fiction and TV crime dramas. However sometimes the errors are simply too abundant. We’ve become used to the pathologist who...
Westwood Manor, Newts, and a Virginal
On Wednesday Claire and I visited Westwood Manor, a nearby National Trust property. King Ethelred II (the Unready) granted the land to his thegn, Alfnoth in AD983. For three centuries three families lived on the manor: Culverhouse (1434 - 1500), Horton (1518 -1609)...
Time and Space
I want to talk about time and space, but I’m not going to try and reconcile quantum theory with relativity. I’m interested, but incapable. My cousin Bill and his wife Sue are over from Canada, and we gave them a tour of Oxford and Bath. Bill’s knee was giving him some...
Red Herrings – Devil May Care 2023 – DNA
DNA is part of what makes us who we are, and DNA analysis is an important part of crime detection now. Talking of which, I have just finished reading the latest edition of Red Herrings, the bulletin of the Crime Writers Association. As usual, several nuggets caught my...
Does Government “Do God?” – Forced and Coercive Marriages – Cinderella
Colin Bloom led a review into government’s relationship with religious faiths. The government recently published his report Does government ‘do God?’ Bloom divides the population into true believers, non-believers, and make-believers. The clarity of the first two...
Racism vs(?) Antisemitism
Is there a difference between anti-semitism and racism? The Labour Party have suspended Diane Abbot as an MP following her comments in a letter to the Observer. She wrote that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people “undoubtedly experience prejudice", which she said is...
Seven Best Quotes on Writing
Why seven best quotes on writing? My publicist Brian Feinblum posted some advice on blog posts for selling books today. He says you have to have a catchy title like seven best, 6 ways to, 9 benefits of, etc. I thought I’d try following his advice, so here goes. I’ve...
Vikings and the Irish
Brian Boru defeated the Vikings in Ireland on this day in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf. It must have been quite a battle because all the leaders died. It wasn’t simply a battle between the Irish and the Vikings, because the Vikings were allied to the Irish king of...