Category: Community
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An English Word of Apology to Europe
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Yesterday, Mr Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, said in a speech :“The facts are unmistakable. Today, there is no political force and no effective leadership for Remain. I say this without satisfaction, but you can’t argue with the facts.” And : “I have been wondering what that special place in hell looks like…
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The Parrot Speaks of Fre-dom
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In the fourteenth century, Geoffrey Chaucer introduced Rhyme Royal to English poetry and all these stanzas of mine about Brexit share that long established rhyme scheme. And Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales and one of those is “The Franklin’s Tale” which I love. And that’s where this medieval word “fre” keeps appearing, later to become…
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The Parrot and the Lie
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This stanza was written late on the night of January 30th, when the Commons debated a series of amendments, at least one of which might have resulted in Parliament wresting control of the Brexit process from May’s Tory government. That result failed to materialise. Instead, the Tories enjoyed some rare moments of apparent unity. They…
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The Parrot, the Cage and the Pulpit
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The tower pictured above is of the Tyndale Monument. This is situated north of Bristol, on the Cotswolds escarpment, above the village of North Nibley. The tower was built in Victorian times, for it was only then that people realised the extent of Tyndale’s influence over, and contribution to, the English of the King James’s…
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Parrot Spots an Old Defence Line
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The parrot has just signed a petition in support of being in good national and continental health. Thankfully, those World War Two pill boxes along the North Downs were not needed, after all. The parrot wants to make sure that no one tries to force a present day parrot into an old, crumbling and nostalgic…