Reading Time: 3 minutes How dare they! How could they! And who are the traitors buying this unsavoury mix? It is a mix that defies what I am and where I come from. There are not many things that I have treasured since I left England in 1984, but Christmas pudding, Manchester City, and Marmite figure high up on […]
UK
Brexit Musings (42) – London And Brussels Get Their Wires Crossed Over A Faulty Extension
Reading Time: 4 minutes The original extension Can someone help me with understanding the extension? I thought that I was quite knowledgeable about Brexit, having been upset, angry and frustrated for two weeks after the referendum that I couldn’t vote in, having worried for 18 months about the continuing validity of my qualification, having been forced to spend money […]
Brexit Has Become A European War Of Religion
Reading Time: 4 minutes The latest ramblings in the House of Commons just serve to emphasize what we already knew. Brexit has become a European war of religion. Like the Roman Catholics and the Huguenots, the Tudor conquest of Ireland, and the 80 years war in the Netherlands, Brexit is a religious war where dialogue is just not possible. […]
Brexit Musings (43): What Mugs We Are!
Reading Time: 3 minutes How I miss the British sense of humour, being able to joke around and make fun of everybody – including “yours truly,” of course. I would really like to thank the Facebook user who posted this video because it really made my day and got my series “Brexit Musings,” up and running […]
A Second Referendum? Why Not Make It The Best Of Three!
Reading Time: 3 minutes This post will probably amuse the few and infuriate the many. But I’m entitled to my alternate views since, having been disenfranchised for one referendum, I certainly don’t want to be disenfranchised a second time. So please spare me the embarrassment of a second EU referendum and besides, the first one was bad enough. Putting […]
2016 And All That: The Rise And Fall Of “Homo brexitus”
Reading Time: 7 minutes In 2016, the UK witnessed the appearance of a new “species” of citizen – Homo brexitus. I certainly do not use this description in a pejorative way. It’s just a term that I found useful – before the Guardian did – to describe the citizens of my motherland who “fell out of love” with the […]
Returning Jihadists Should Be Tried For Crimes Against Humanity
Reading Time: 7 minutes Shamima Begum deserves, like all Jihadists, not a criminal court hidden somewhere in the centre of London, but one that reflects the universality of the crimes she supports. Europe faces a problem not only with migrants from worn-torn Islamic countries, but with returning Jihadists who, technically at least, are still European citizens. It’s an […]
Manchester City 6-0 Chelsea: How I Vanquished An Old Ghost
Reading Time: 2 minutes 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 […]
The Importance Of Reasoned Criticism
Reading Time: 5 minutes The freedom to express reasoned criticism that is shocking for some, and disturbing for others, is a prerequisite for a free life. The point of a personal blog is to give the chance for little people like me to air their views and comment on matters or events they find important. I do […]
Nous Devons Tous Faire Comme Charlie Hebdo
Reading Time: 4 minutes Pourquoi j’ai quitté plusieurs groupes Facebook J’ai écrit beaucoup de choses à propos du Brexit. Pas étonnant, je suis un “Franglais” né à Londres, ayant vécu en France, et vivant depuis 20 ans aux Pays-Bas. Pas étonnant, non plus, que j’ai pleuré comme une madeleine le lendemain de ce scrutin malheureux du mois de […]