Pause for thought: Charles Dickens

The joy of reading.

Sea Pictures III

Sing a song of sixpence

The British sixpence, also known as the tanner or sixpenny bit, used to jangle in pockets alongside half-crowns, shillings, threepenny bits, and old pennies – all long defunct.

Dickens at Pompeii

Pompeii: one of the ruins that Vesuvius knocked about a bit.

A hackneyed tale of hansom is as hansom does

The fuss over Uber, the cab company booked and paid for using digital technology, is only the latest in a centuries old practice.

In memoriam Alan Scrivener (1934-2014): Keeping past memories warm

What makes a great teacher? Everyone has their own idea, but surely a passion for life, independence of thought, and doubtless an inability to suffer fools gladly.