The Pandemic is Beginning to Leave its Mark — As It Always Does

Apologies for the creepy image!

It’s a 17th-century engraving of a plague doctor. He’s wearing a costume that had its origins in the medieval period.

I came across a similar image on Instagram this week. It was a meme commenting on the “fashion trends” of Summer 2020. Funny, but like many Internet memes has a certain edge.… Continue reading

The End of Days?

It’s hard to think of anything else these days.

As I write this, it is a sunny spring day, blustery and chilly. In normal times such weather would carry the promise of warmer weather and gentler days. Today, the wind seems bitter, harsh.

I’ve been reading the remarkable new novel by Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light, the last in her trilogy on the English politician, Thomas Cromwell.… Continue reading