Laurie Graham

As the press has been plastered with images of Ann Widdecombe in sequinned splendour I thought I’d show her in more characteristic rig: sensible, moor-walking wear. For those of you without access to or the inclination for British television, also for anyone recently emerged from the Burmese jungle, Ann Widdecombe is the current darling of a show called Strictly Ballroom.…

  Before I sign off for a few days, I have to say something about the latest traduction of equality legislation: The Equality Act 2010. It’s all over the press like nettle rash but still bears a comment, in particular the Third Party Harassment provision, which makes it possible for every one of us to…

The British press have been on  idiotic form this week reporting, among many other non-stories, the growing popularity of Gender Revealing Parties. In case you haven’t heard, these are parties where you open a sealed envelope and announce the sex of your unborn child. A Hallmark Moment if ever there was one. It also signals the surrender of another bridgehead of correct English.…

 Mr F and I are just back from visiting our old home town, and with mixed feelings. Very. For the first time in many years we were there without any responsibilities: no work to do, no guests to feed. Everywhere we went we were greeted so warmly and pressed to have dinner or a drink…

I’ve decided I’m giving up Sunday newspapers. I just opened today’s  Telegraph magazine and saw a fashion photo of a dress with a £3,600 price tag and I said to myself, ‘are they out of their freaking minds!’ The Telegraph used to be a sensible paper, so sensible it employed me as a columnist for…

I’m getting kind of bored with that spurious 5 a Day command we’ve been getting from nutritionists. Every time I read a newspaper there’s some new angle. Potatoes are good, potatoes are bad, a glass of wine is the elixir of life, two glasses and you might as well put a bullet through your brain and…

Last year, when I read the story of Stan Brown, I was very tempted to blog about it but the moment passed. It was just another everyday tale of bureaucratic idiocy and if you read too many of them you could lose the will to live. But this week we have the story of Derek Evans, which…

  I’ve recently discovered an unexpected bonus to be had from Internet shopping: if I spend long enough searching and comparing products I eventually lose the desire to buy anything. And if sheer information-overload doesn’t kill the purchase, then the procedure for payment quite often will. Websites that say they’ll deliver anywhere in the world but don’t understand…

Today we lost a friend.  Six weeks ago when I was dithering whether we should visit John McKay and his wife before they went to the US for their vacation or after he pressed me to seize the day. I’m so glad he did because Maine turned out to be a one way trip for him. We first met John when…

  Tuesday is an important day in this household. It’s the only day any kind of garbage is picked up. Actually, my Tuesdays begin on Monday evening when I haul one or possibly two of our wheelie bins into the street. And if I forget, woe everso betide me, because I’ll have to wait another 14 days for the next…