Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

Over the last few weeks some white birds have been visiting our garden. Rachel and I have had an ongoing discussion… are they white pigeons or doves? We have lots of grey-pink-bluish pigeons in our garden – at best they’re stupid pests at worst they’re aggressive, feral vermin. Doves, however, are beautiful, gentle birds, aContinue reading “Pigeons or Doves?”

When I was a young maths teacher, we did lots of practical activities… One of the regular April 1st ‘tricks’ was: ‘Johnny, we’re doing some weighing and measuring this morning. Please ask Mr Oldfield if he’d give you a long weight.’ Mr Oldfield would be busy teaching his class… Eventually Johnny would return to meContinue reading “The Long Wait Is Over”

The ‘Twelfth of Never’… …is a song that’s been sung by many singers …is an expression that defines the date of a future event that will never happen …describes love that will last forever. You ask how much I need you, must I explain?I need you, oh my darling, like roses need rain.You ask howContinue reading “The Twelfth of Never”

Yesterday I went to ‘Music for Wellbeing’. We sang and played summery songs with enthusiasm and volume… ‘Summer Holiday’, ‘I do like to be beside the seaside’… and ‘Bring me Sunshine’… Bring me sunshine, in your smileBring me laughter, all the while… Look for Sunshine… I watched the news last night. War, global warming, refugees,Continue reading “Bring Me Sunshine”

David Butcher’s a local teacher, historian and author. His books describe the history of the local fishing industry, herring fishing, trawlers and drifters… …Local men would smoke kippers, bloaters and red herring… Poor children ate red herring – herring that had been dried, smoked and salted, giving it a particularly strong flavour… A ‘red herring’Continue reading “Red Herring”

I’ve learnt a new word… Yesterday afternoon the grandchildren and were playing ‘Bananagrams’ – a word game that’s a bit like Scrabble. They included the word ‘aglet’. ‘That’s not a word!’ I said. I was wrong. Grandchildren sung the ‘Phineas and Ferb’ song ‘Aglet’ – which isn’t in my repertoire – with great enthusiasm. IContinue reading “Shoelaces and Aglets”

Lowestoft is famous! Yesterday we made the headlines in several national newspapers: ‘Vicious’ seagulls are terrorising residents and visitors in a Suffolk seaside town’ ‘Ashley Catchpole, a beach cleaner from Lowestoft, said: “They’re cute in some ways – but when they go after food they really are vicious and quite horrible. They’re very determined onceContinue reading “Coping with Seagulls”

At school I loved formulas… physics formulas predicted the way light or electricity always behaved… chemistry formulas went with mixing solids, liquids and gases… and mathematical formulas (OK – for the purists, it’s formulae!) …letters and numbers calculating shapes… algebraic formulae that appeared to bear no relation to the realities of life, but were alwaysContinue reading “The Formula of Faith”

On Saturday we saw an excellent outdoor production of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’… At the Mad Hatter’s tea party the Hatter asks Alice: ‘Why is a raven like a writing desk?’ A bonkers conversation eventually concludes: Hatter: Have you guessed the riddle yet? Alice: No I give up . What’s the answer? Hatter: I haven’tContinue reading “Riddles and Parables”

Dear Lord, give me strength to carry on This old Eric Clapton Song has recently become a reassuring friend, a heartfelt prayer… When I’m just about coping with life, carrying out my daily duties and responsibilities, but feel I’m close to the edge… I’ve given it my best shot and my best shot isn’t goodContinue reading “Give Me Strength”