October, 2020

THE TIMES yesterday (October  6) carried an Obituary of  another  Knighted media chancer, Sir Peregrine Worsthorne, hot on the heels, or onto the hot heels of Sir Harold Evans. But it does not pretend that Worsthorne was the greatest and most ethical journalist of all time, or even in the running. Some readers of my vintage […]

There are so many conflicting messages being fired at us from our rulers, it’s hard to remember what they said today, let alone yesterday. But when an unpopular decision regarding lock-down was made, governments invariably said that they were simply following “the best medical advice.”  A couple of nights ago, that particular mantra was coated […]

When I was a young teacher, there was a newsagent’s shop across the road from the school. The road was busy, so I knew that if I crossed without care, there was a chance of being struck by a vehicle. But I was often in need of a packet of cigarettes or a newspaper, so […]

In our obsession/panic over Covid, even Brexit has had to take a back  seat. But we mustn’t forget that the Johnson government have said  they’ll break their international agreement and have no checks  between GB and the North of Ireland, or vice versa. So does that mean a hard border is on its way?  Then there’s the prospect of another total or near total lockdown in the South once more, to quell the virus, and the  antics of one D Trump, with his quick once-round-the-block so his admirers  could admire him.  All the fun of the fair. Dive in….

At first glance, two men more unalike than Justice Séamus Woulfe and Donald J Trump would be hard to imagine. One is a Supreme Court judge and a man whom few of us would have heard, or even heard of before. He’s obviously highly educated and, one would imagine, very good at his job or […]

I recently,(Sept 26) wrote a Blog headed  SIR HAROLD EVANS AND OTHER LIONISED  LYING  SCOUNDRELS. During his year editing  THE TIMES,  not only did his paper attempt to defend at the PRESS COUNCIL, a blatant lie about  casualties in “the Troubles”   but it published a glowing Obituary of Lord Widgery. And, when Tony Benn was  […]

There are times when the chutzpah of Irish politicians would take your breath away. Take the person previously known as Reg, now Lord Empey. He was on TV last night telling the southern government to go and get its own house in order. Wasn’t there a book showing that the Arms Trial was misleading and […]

Eamonn McCann once said that Belfast had produced three geniuses in modern times and they were all Protestants. He listed them: George Best, Hurricane Higgins and Van Morrison. As often is the case, Eamonn was right – all three men were supreme artists at what they did: football, snooker and singing.  But as we glory […]

OK – ‘ fess up: have you or have you not been guilty of schadenfreude this morning? As you spooned your cereal into your face and word came through that President Donald Trump and his wife had contracted Covid-19, did you suppress a little yip of joy? Or did you kick over your chair and […]

I recently,(Sept 26) wrote a Blog headed  SIR HAROLD EVANS AND OTHER LIONISED  LYING  SCOUNDRELS. During his year editing  THE TIMES,  not only did his paper attempt to defend at the PRESS COUNCIL, a blatant lie about  casualties in “the Troubles”   but it published a glowing Obituary of Lord Widgery. And, when Tony Benn was  […]