Author Archives: Mark Rossiter

drying beer

Posted on March 3, 2006 by Mark Rossiter

I brought a case of beer into the kitchen the other day, and invited Ian to help me load a few cans into the fridge and the rest into the cupboard. But he had a better idea: he took all … Continue reading →

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houseproud hold-up hopeful

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Mark Rossiter

I’m in the process of trying to buy a house in Sheffield, four doors up from my sister. It’s a private sale; the current owner, a friend of hers, now lives in New Zealand and has let the place to … Continue reading →

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the brain makes no noise

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Mark Rossiter

About to feed Ian a piece of salmon this evening,  I came out with all the usual stuff about how it’s good for the brain and it’ll make him clever. He fixed me with his eye, shook his head, and … Continue reading →

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parents and children

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Mark Rossiter

Nobody can escape having parents, but loving them is optional. On the other hand, nobody has to have children, but for those who do, loving them is not just mandatory; it’s an inescapable compulsion.

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Mats the Nordic Engine (sadder and wiser)

Posted on June 25, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

Last night I took a few hours off to go and see some mates in the centre of Dubai. They live in Deira, where glitzy new malls jostle with jammed apartment buildings, packed local restaurants, and empty sandy lots (common … Continue reading →

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the man who should have been pope

Posted on May 29, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

Today I ran across this quote from David Attenborough, maker of some of the greatest television series of the twentieth century, but also a man with sufficient all-round skills that he could have been Director-General of the BBC (he quit … Continue reading →

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what the president really meant to say…

Posted on May 29, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

Today’s calendar sees  George Bush’s irrepressible socio-political id  thoroughly give the game away: "The vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."

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free nations don’t do what???

Posted on May 16, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

On the side in our kitchen we have a calendar of George W. Bushisms, given to us by my mother-in-law: peel off a daily howler from the mouth of the not-so-great man. Often they’re a bit fussy, hanging on his … Continue reading →

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whose bonus, Bond?

Posted on April 28, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

My 79-year-old mother, gladdened by the birth of her first granddaughter in February, decided to help little Kyria along by buying her a Children’s Bonus Bond as an investment in her future. My mum’s sister-in-law, of a similar age, kindly … Continue reading →

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pope soap dope

Posted on April 10, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

That religion is still the opium of the people is proven by the razzle-dazzle surrounding the funeral of one of its longest-standing cult bosses, John Paul II. Everybody who’s anybody had to be seen there, and it gave them all … Continue reading →

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