Someone once told me that he did not object to socialism on ethical grounds. It was simply that it didn’t work. His remark hit home. Perhaps – I’ve since wondered – he’d been to Bulgaria to see the proof. Those in the West complaining about capitalism (which seems to be the pastime of wealthy North London thespians) should take a … [Read on]

I began my day by walking to Tescos, it’s a small one and much of the meat sold in there is Halal, or very cheap frozen chicken which is unlabelled. But I can buy a limited range of fish there, and all the food outlets near to me are Halal. So it’s this shop or a drive or bus ride … [Read on]

One of the saddest things I heard this year, was the voice of someone working in a ‘care’ home, after the cases of abuse were reported in Rotherham and Rochdale. ‘There is no love on offer in children’s homes,’ he said flatly. ‘That is the one thing that we cannot give.’

First the coincidences, showers of them making me tingle. Today I was even looking in a mirror examining my nose when a voice from the radio started talking about Cyrano de Berjerac. There was a strange sense of time speeding up, and after that came the news of drastic change. Last Tuesday, 23rd, my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, … [Read on]

Bulgaria’s institutions still have a communist ‘darkness at noon’ feel to them. Entry to the EU was definitely premature. Dissecting that word, actually I doubt Bulgaria will ever be ‘mature’ – at least not in my lifetime. If I told you that a young Australian was sentenced to 20 years for intervening in a street brawl when a young Roma … [Read on]

A popular English-language memoir of communist-era Bulgaria (not written by me!) was called Street Without a Name*. The book was not a one-off account of a deprived family. This sums up the current living conditions of most Bulgarians who inhabit prefabricated, identikit socialist housing in the suburbs of Sofia and all Bulgarian cities. To repeat – most streets do not … [Read on]

Together we look at the things she has in two glass fronted cupboards. There are one or two things there which I really love and as she has now decided to sell her house, she wants me to have them. There is the black cat tea pot from the 1920s, with a badly glued crack in its red collar. ‘You … [Read on]

When I read about Islamic extremism my mind goes back to 25 years ago when, as a callow youth, I used to attend Speakers’ Corner almost every Sunday. (Yes, I know, I know, but not all of us enjoyed traditional Sunday lunch with all the trimmings!) I was attracted to a forum where people could express their view on an … [Read on]