Hats off to the High Court

   Some years ago now, I was involved in two major public inquiries which were much in the news. One was the Savile Inquiry into the events in Londonderry in Northern Ireland on Sunday January 30th 1972, known as Bloody Sunday, and the other was an inquiry chaired by Dame Janet Smith into the activities… Read More: Hats off to the High Court »

Protection from Prism

Data privacy is not necessarily a subject which quickens the pulse, unless, of course, it is your data which is under threat. However, the subject has acquired a whole new significance in recent days following the revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden who leaked sensitive information about US surveillance programmes to the Guardian here in the… Read More: Protection from Prism »

Slick as a Whistle

In 1848, a certain John Russell Bartlett published a Dictionary of Americanisms. Mr Bartlett has it that the phrase slick as a whistle is “a proverbial simile, in common use throughout the United States. To do anything as slick as a whistle, is to do it very smoothly, perfectly, adroitly.” Possibly because I do not… Read More: Slick as a Whistle »

We have lift off!

Do you remember Major Tom (David Bowie)? More of him later, but Captain Ron?!  To be honest, I have not actually met Captain Ron. However, I know about him because I was having dinner recently in Santa Monica, California at The Galley Restaurant and Bar and found myself being served by one of Captain Ron’s staff in the form… Read More: We have lift off! »

The Famous Five

In the most striking example to date of  how seriously the judiciary intends to get to grips with the changes to the rules inspired by Lord Justice Jackson, the Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson, has appointed five Court of Appeal judges to hear all appeals arising out of the reforms. Rupert Jackson had in fact recommended… Read More: The Famous Five »

Revolutions with numbers

Thomas Paine was born in Thetford in Norfolk in 1737 and died in NYC in 1809 and is credited with being the inspiration behind the decision which led America to secede from Britain. Paine had an extraordinary life. Starting as a corset maker by trade, he emigrated to the USA and participated in the revolution there. Despite… Read More: Revolutions with numbers »

It never rains in Southern California!

I have come to the conclusion that California is like that! By that, I mean that it makes you forget everything else. It is a place which seems to have the power to consume all the senses, and I am not referring here to the readily available “medicinal marijuana.” Spending a few days in California… Read More: It never rains in Southern California! »