Coronavirus

Landscape as a metaphor for lockdown

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A large part of today has passed in that dreadful state of attempting to find something vaguely resembling a familiar routine, after the complete break of a holiday. I have to admit that it has been hard going, with tasks I hoped would re-establish a sense of normality crumbling into disorder. Even a commonplace round … Read more

A lesson about national character

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I remember that in my first-year classes in sociology at Leicester University the lecturer was at pains to attack the concept of “national character”. Since then I have been sceptical about its value, until today. All kinds of rubbish is talked about British national character. You know the usual nonsense about “stiff upper lips” and … Read more