January, 2012

Big Tom’s a-cold

What’s David McNarry up to? He was on TV last night and it’s not often you hear a politician speaking so plainly in public as he did. The unfortunate part, from the UUP’s point of view, was that he was talking about his leader, Tom Elliott. “I feel betrayed by him” McNarry said, or words […]

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Big Tom’s a-cold

What’s David McNarry up to? He was on TV last night and it’s not often you hear a politician speaking so plainly in public as he did. The unfortunate part, from the UUP’s point of view, was that he was talking about his leader, Tom Elliott. “I feel betrayed by him” McNarry said, or words […]

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Talking about a united Ireland…

When we speak of a united Ireland, most of us don’t know what we’re talking about.  Or rather, we don’t know what other people are talking about. For some, it means the cold-sweat nightmare of being taken over by the bankrupt south. For others, it’s the prospect of Rome rule paralysing the entire island. For […]

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Talking about a united Ireland…

When we speak of a united Ireland, most of us don’t know what we’re talking about.  Or rather, we don’t know what other people are talking about. For some, it means the cold-sweat nightmare of being taken over by the bankrupt south. For others, it’s the prospect of Rome rule paralysing the entire island. For […]

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Basil’s Big Day Out in Derry

I was in Derry yesterday and caught part of the Uniting Ireland – Towards a New Republic conference organised by Sinn Féin. Actually it wasn’t a conference as I’d have understood it, with different people giving prepared papers over an extended period of time, but it was interesting nonetheless. Some eight people commenting on a […]

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Basil’s Big Day Out in Derry

I was in Derry yesterday and caught part of the Uniting Ireland – Towards a New Republic conference organised by Sinn Féin. Actually it wasn’t a conference as I’d have understood it, with different people giving prepared papers over an extended period of time, but it was interesting nonetheless. Some eight people commenting on a […]

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Long to reign over us?

 Martin McGuinness may have annoyed a few people this week. And made a few others nervous. And mildly pleased a few more.  Odd,  how the same action can provoke such a range of reactions, isn’t it?  Although McGuinness hasn’t so much acted as hinted that he might one day act.  At some future date he […]

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Long to reign over us?

 Martin McGuinness may have annoyed a few people this week. And made a few others nervous. And mildly pleased a few more.  Odd,  how the same action can provoke such a range of reactions, isn’t it?  Although McGuinness hasn’t so much acted as hinted that he might one day act.  At some future date he […]

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Pssst! Want a degree?

J B Priestley, Philip Larkin, L S Lowry – two writers and a painter whose work it’s impossible not to admire. And, whatever they may have been in the rest of their lives, men with at least one element of good sense and integrity. How so? All three – and over a hundred others – […]

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Pssst! Want a degree?

J B Priestley, Philip Larkin, L S Lowry – two writers and a painter whose work it’s impossible not to admire. And, whatever they may have been in the rest of their lives, men with at least one element of good sense and integrity. How so? All three – and over a hundred others – […]

Continue Reading