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Category Archives: Non-fictions

1826 – a Werner Herzog movie pitch*

I Port Natal, New Year. Bare-chested natives dance under the unfinished walls of Fort Farewell. Many cattle are eaten. II Port Natal, February. Short of livestock, the white settlers plan an expedition inland, to Shaka’s kraal. They hack the figurehead from their wrecked ship, the Mary, as a gift for the black Napoleon. III The interior (Independent […]

She invites me in for coffee

– Coffee? Or coffee? – Coffee. – Does either of those have inverted commas? – Yes… Does it matter which? – I guess not.

My brother speaks in small print

LUNCH!!! (is nearly ready)

Like father…

My father has no fewer than eight pots of coloured ink on his desk. He has written nothing of note. I have a biro, with a missing top. I also have not written anything.

Ancient wisdom

Red sky at night: shepherds’ delight. Green ammonia-filled acrid smoke-piss in the morning: asparagus for dinner.

Our little secret – 3

My Railcard actually gives both of us a discount. But I prefer to spend your fiver on beer.

Our little secret – 2

When you explain to your girlfriend that your London degree is as good as mine from Oxford, I say nothing, and hope you both think I’m on your side.

Our little secret – 1

I love taking you to galleries and pretending I don’t ‘get’ the art (while looking at the pashmina girls over your shoulder).

At the Rowing Club (or – The truth about sports)

– I think it’s going to be close! – It’s not going to be close. Either they’re going to win, or we are.

Musical note

MEMO – start a band called ‘the lower-case Ts’