My grandchildren know that I read a lot – for my recent birthday one of my grandsons bought me “River out of Eden” by Richard Dawkins. It is just fantastic - a really easy to understand explanation of evolution – I think everyone should read it!
On my first day at infants school, more than 60 years ago, my classroom was the open shelter in the playground because there were not enough classrooms inside! I remember it was snowing and the teacher had a blackboard on an easel. All us kids sat shivering on small chairs at wooden desks.
The secret of brilliant presents for parents and grandparents – presents that will really mean something and really please them, is the measure of how much effort you have put into them!
So – a present you have made yourself would be best. The more obvious the thought and effort involved the better it will please [...]
Hello grandads What was rationing like for you?
I remember ‘smogs’ so thick you really couldn’t see your ‘hand in front of your face!’ I saw a bus conductor walking along the edge of the pavement with a rolled up newspaper alight so that the driver could follow the light!
Only the wealthy had telephones at home. The rest of us had to walk to the nearest public phone box. You had to put your money in and then dial the number you wanted. If it was answered you pressed button A and you were connected – but when the money ran out you were [...]
My first car, in about 1970 cost me £55 it was an ancient clapped out Vauxhall Velux . The bodywork was mostly rust. I spent a fortune and endless hours patching it up with glass fibre! A couple of years later when it eventually died I bought a gold colour Ford Granada - it was [...]
An adjective meaning mournful, doleful, dismal.
I always think of the comedian Tony Hancock as haveing the best example of a lugubrious face!
Aside from Fire, the Wheel, and medical discoveries/advances, what are the greatest inventions of your lifetime, and why?… Jet Engine, Computers, Mobile Phones, Dyson?
With technology, media and globalisation, how comes no-one has found a better guitarist than Hendrix since he died in 1970?