Margaret went to stay in a hotel that was the venue for a three-day conference at which her husband was a guest speaker. The hotel was in Bournemouth and, while the conference was in session, Margaret was left to her own devices. Her first task was her usual one; studying the fire notice in their bedroom and walking the proposed exit route. She had stayed in many hotels and never yet found a route that was entirely as it […]
Read more of "The helpful guest"One day a man, who had spent his adult life abusing his body with alcohol, tobacco and other over-indulgences, decided to get a grip. This wasn’t a completely solo decision; both his wife and his doctor had urged him to take steps to improve his health before, they said ominously, it was too late. He pondered which of his many bad habits to tackle, and how. Spoilt for choice, he decided to restrict himself to three challenges at a […]
Read more of "A man who got hooked on challenges"When I was a teenager I used to spend part of my summer holidays staying with a maiden aunt in Oxford. The expression ‘maiden aunt’, whilst true, is unlikely to conjure up the right image. My aunt Joan was glamorous and lived an utterly hedonistic lifestyle. She was always immaculately turned out and wore red lipstick that left fascinating imprints of her lips on cups and glasses. She used to sweep into expensive restaurants, with me in tow, announcing to […]
Read more of "Now it can be told"The other day, stuck in slow moving traffic on the M23, we fell to marvelling at the wonders of Sat Nav (this, despite the fact that it had failed to warn us we were about to join a tailback many miles long). My friend wondered about the extent to which the course of history might have changed if our predecessors had possessed Sat Nav. An intriguing idea; perhaps someone should write one of those ‘if only’ books? I immediately thought […]
Read more of "Sat Nav"Walking in Windsor yesterday I came across a young man armed with a bucket full of soapy water, a bamboo cane and a net. With this basic equipment he was able to make giant bubbles that lolloped unhurriedly through the air. As I watched, I wondered what it would be like to travel in one of those large bubbles; Bentley bubbles, travelling effortlessly, offering a temporary respite from the concerns of the outside world. Having just returned from a heavenly […]
Read more of "A music festival with Martin Randall Travel is like wallowing in a giant bubble"“There is no such thing as a non-learner, only inappropriate learning opportunities.”
