The victims all had a Christian name – Suzanne, Ingrid, Florence, Catherine… Most had a job – schoolteacher, bank employee, secretary… They all had parents, friends, neighbours, and many had children. Their Christian names are our names and their jobs are our jobs. We too, have parents, friends, and for many of us, children. For […]
Society
Notre-Dame De Paris – This Old Lady Is Not For Burning
On the night of the fire, the emotion shown by president Macron during his short television statement in front of Notre-Dame spoke louder than the cathedral’s bells, as his tears were not so far away. A part of Paris was burning, and it’s a blaze that should affect us all. It underscores the fragility of history, […]
Why It’s Time For The UK To Leave The European Union
In times gone by, the European Union was something that was never mentioned in rural England, despite its continuous presence. Like a morning mist that never lifts, the scent of the EU lingered daily above the Yorkshire dales, well into the afternoon before briefly disappearing, only to return with a vengeance at dusk. Since the […]
Film Review: “Carmen And Lola” – Coming Out As Gay In Repressive Romani Culture
It’s a familiar theme relating the attitude that we have as a society, and men in particular, concerning women. It’s a theme that revolves around well-known clichés, but that we will never get tired of seeing. We must certainly never get tired of facing the truth about what it is to be a woman. We […]
Running After The Hijab – Why Decathlon And The Washington Post Got It Wrong
For some it is hard to believe that France, of all countries, is having yet another heated debate concerning a dress code. The country that is renowned for its mode and haute-couture, is getting all worked up about a piece of cloth covering a woman’s hair – yet again, again. After having nearly drowned under […]
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Is France Facing An Anti-Semitic Insurrection?
The escalating violence associated with the yellow vest demonstrations, coupled with the ever-increasing incoherence of their political and social demands raises the question of whether France is facing insurrection. What is more worrying however, is that this popular rebellion is being used as a pretext for violence and, more dangerously, for antisemitism. Both have nothing […]
A Nous La Petite Anglaise: La Djihadiste De L’Hotel ISIS
L’encrier de Charlie Hebdo à peine vidé à ce sujet, voici que la Cours pénale internationale de La Haye (CPI) (rien à voir avec Brigitte!) tient sa première candidate pour passer devant les tribunaux. Dans son coup-de-gueule intitulé, “les djihadistes, dans quel bac?” Gérard Biard a fait référence au rôle que pourrait jouer la CPI […]
Love Island – Why It Could Have Saved Us From Brexit, But Didn’t
In August last year, I wrote a post about the TV masterpiece, Love Island, and how it could save us all from Brexit. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a re-run. The final episode unfolded thus, He stole a kiss on a rock, overlooking the still ocean. A […]
Manchester City 6-0 Chelsea: How I Vanquished An Old Ghost
It’s been a recurring nightmare for nearly 50 years, but since yesterday I can really say that I’ve vanquished an old ghost, banished a demon for ever and ever. A 13-year-old boy is so vulnerable, so impressionable – especially at school. My recurring nightmare featured my old French school, in South Kensington, and how I […]
Why I Left Two Anti-Brexit Facebook Groups
I’ve written a lot of stuff about Brexit since the earth moved under my feet, in June 2016. Judging by the reactions, some of it was good, and some of it not so good. I admit that maybe, here and there, I wrote something that was not 100% factually correct or that I had incorrectly […]