They took their time: much more than they should. But at long last, the trustees of the National Trust have accepted the resignation of chairman Tim Parker. Or was he pushed as the person ostensibly overseeing a succession of decisions that have alienated many loyal members and seen the dismissal of hundreds of dedicated staff, paid and volunteers?  Parker, he of the shockwave hair, had the gall to ‘thank everyone, not least the many thousands of volunteers …’ Meanwhile, the trust remained in denial that Parker was also chair of the Post Office when it sent so many of its… Continue reading

  Think I’ll stay home.  To travel to Portugal, you need a passport valid for at least another six months, a certificate proving you have tested negative within 72 hours of departure, proof of a booking for a test in Portugal, a copy of your passenger locator form, proof of… Continue reading

EXCUSE the aspirated headline. My apparent descent into Cockney lingo has its reasons. As does the punning use of this Australian phrase that was rapidly popularised after being given birth by a Telstra television ad in 2002. As explained by the Urban Dictionary, it is now used when someone “is… Continue reading

SOMETHING’S not right. I already had my suspicions but chose to ignore them. Now I fear that is no longer possible; recent events have convinced me so. Time to face the fact: incidents of going into another room and not remembering why you did so are commonplace in one’s more… Continue reading

AS a person of interest, Meaghan Markle usually rates way down the list of those spotlighted celebrities who engage my attention. Almost off the scale; at the lowest end. As I feel she is considered by most people apart from those sad sacks to whom all gossip is more precious… Continue reading