A series of exogenous incidents
By Emeritus Professor Verity Bastion
A sting in the tale
Verity discovers that when the wise man points at the moon, the fool looks at the finger. Thomas, my husband of forty years, has a new project. It keeps him
Stripped back
Life’s bare necessities are revealed in death to Professor Verity Bastion. Nowadays I attend more funerals than cocktail parties. They can be quite jolly affairs and it is remarkable what
The ironic lady
How a locked door gave a young Verity a momentary release, but left her trapped under a glass ceiling. Vivaldi had four seasons. In Britain we have five: spring, summer,
Gone offline
Verity is uncomfortable with prospect of a virtual future for the end-of-life years. This last month has been exciting. Out of the blue, I was invited to give a keynote
Banging the Qigong
Holistic philosophy of self-care, community and sustainability with razor wire is, it seems, the way forward. Thomas, my beloved husband, is giving me no peace with his chatter about the
Out of pocket rocket
A tale of the downfall of another powerful predatory male and its aftershocks. So once more I visited the eye-wateringly expensive restaurant, Nobed. It is a haunt of celebrities as
How to clean up in a trickle down
Professor Bastion gets Trussed up as she witnesses opportunities in Kiev. When I heard the new PM’s words, “I am willing to be unpopular”, I felt goosebumps. At last an
Turning back the clock
When it isn’t always clear that things ain’t what they seem to be. The media is talking about going back to the 70s as if it was a bad time.
The nature of the beast
Verity delves into the environmental economics undergrowth. Our peaceful piece of suburbia is feeling particularly tame at the moment. A far cry from the perilous encounters to be had in
Care and a significant consideration
Verity Bastion worries about lessons learnt and loneliness. I find it hard to keep up with Crispin McDonal, my former star pupil and finance wizard. He is now all over
Carbon upset
With a revolutionary treatise to write, our good Professor Bastion struggles to warm to green heat. It is chaos here. It all started when our heating system failed. Now we
Blade runner 2021
Imaginary friends get real. Things are very exciting in our retirement complex. I had never imagined when Thomas and I moved into this apartment four years ago that we would
Double parked
Two cars yet nowhere to go. But how did she get where she is? Lockdown has certainly left everyone frazzled. I have been trying to get on with writing my
Hip to the beat
Pride after a fall. I am recuperating at home under Thomas’s care. The book I began a few months ago is on hold. I have little to distract me from
A shocking trolley
A misplaced piece of supermarket equipment starts a dreadful carry on. I was not going to go for the lockdown fad of starting a new project but I have decided
Pot, porn and praise the Lord
People find new outlets when lockdown comes. I want to make clear that we do not live in a care home, thank God. It is a retirement apartment complex. People
Isolated incidents
Thomas attempts to go viral as mass infection brings great opportunities. I am isolating myself. There’s nothing wrong with me, or Thomas, but others around us are dropping like flies. But,
Round for Dinner
My Christmas card from Esther and Abhijit Circular arguments ensue after a round of experiments. And Thomas’ culinary efforts return to the earth. I must admit that last week was
Old Wounds
When pride takes a fall it’s the same the world over. After Boris’s election, I caught a little bit of his gung-ho optimism. I began to think it could be
Home groan
Flourishing fads and price-hiked highs put the spirit into spiritualism. Everyone seems preoccupied with food these days with endless cookery porn, the young constantly posting their meals on social media
Whiners and losers
Soft cheese, hard Brexit and the joys of talking trade theory. Like most people, I am wearied with this whole Brexit thing. It got particularly bad when Thomas became obsessively
Digging the commons, man
How Thomas’ inner hippy saved the commons with a spot of help from the high-born Last week I was abruptly awakened by a loud noise. I elbowed my snoring Thomas
The children are the future
Babysitting comes with great responsibility. Lehman. I can’t seem to escape the constant harking on the significance of the failure of Lehman. There is even a play about the Lehman
Basic Instincts
The value of a human life becomes clear. At last my old colleague, Felix Price, deigned to visit me last week after almost two years of retirement. I have to
And so… to the cleaners. An invitation to lunch all gets a bit messy.
Last week I had a lunch date. This is not something I get to have much these days. One of my postgraduate students, Crispin McDonal, contacted me through my university.
Sustainably Yours
A late charge by Thomas into the green, ends in bloodshed and disappointment. If only they had consulted Professor Bastion. Thomas has gone green. Our dear girl Hermione wasn’t even
A second brush with royalty
Professor Verity Bastion sees little cause to reflect on economic yester years and encounters a leading light in the black economy. So it looks like we are going to suffer
Verity
Professor Verity Bastion seeks to steady the ship in these turbulent times with some common sense. There is something about Theresa May that reminds me of the Maid of Lorraine.
