You probably won’t have noticed but the kilogram isn’t quite what it used to be. Since 1889 the perfect platinum-based kilogram, known as Le Grand K, has been held in a safe in Paris. It sets the standard for every other kilogram in the world. The only problem is that it’s been losing weight as it slowly deteriorates with the … Read More

Sometimes being rich doesn’t guarantee you everything you want. Sometimes you need to be tall as well. Tom Cruise is famous for playing the action hero in the Mission Impossible film franchise. So in 2012 he seemed the natural choice to play Jack Reacher when Lee Child’s books hit the big screen. The only problem was that in the books … Read More

The poet Steve Turner once penned these lines:   History repeats itself. Has to. No one listens.   One hundred years ago the guns finally fell silent on the Western Front and the appalling cost of the conflict began to be counted. It was the first war in which people had been killed on an industrial scale and in which … Read More

Near the main entrance of Westminster Abbey lies The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Brought from the battlefield of the Western Front and buried ‘amongst the kings’ this unknown soldier represents the countless thousands who gave their lives in the First World War.   His body was laid to rest on 11thNovember 1920 in the presence of the Royal Family, … Read More

As a parent I’ve discovered over the years that there’s no surer way of provoking cries of ‘It’s not fair!’ from my children, than when I appear to favour one over the others. They expect to be treated equally and seem to have an inbuilt favouritism sensor that is easily triggered.   Such favouritism lies at the heart of a … Read More

On 1stNovember 1995 my wife and I went to bed secure in the knowledge that the due date for the birth of our first child was not for another 12 days. So imagine our surprise when my wife woke in the early hours and knew for certain that the baby was on its way. We were completely unprepared and flew … Read More

A recent survey revealed that a quarter of 18 – 24-year olds think that marriage should be a temporary contract much like the ones we have for our mobile phones. It would seem that the idea of a lifelong commitment to one person is being  increasingly seen as unrealistic. Our consumer culture which encourages us to keeping switching service providers … Read More

Named after the flag flown by ships preparing to set sail, the British children’s TV programme Blue Peter has certainly lived up to its name, taking generations of children on a voyage of adventure and discovery. Over 60 years the show’s presenters have brought amazing experiences into our homes and shown us things we might never otherwise have seen.  Who … Read More

About a year after the financial crash of 2008 a friend sent me a cheque for £1,000.  They had very nearly lost the money in a bank that came close to collapse.   In the letter that my friend sent with the cheque they explained that having nearly lost the money they had realised they would rather put it to … Read More

This week the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Ashers’ Bakery in Northern Ireland.  Responding to the judgement Gareth Lee, who originally sued the company on grounds of discrimination, said that it made him feel like a ‘second-class citizen.’  But he’s quite wrong and the Bible on which the owners of the Ashers’ bakery base their lives tells us … Read More