The Plashing Vole

After the exertions of yesterday's Faculty Away-Day (the exertion being mostly of the trying-not-to-scream variety), today's my last...

You can tell I'm Not A Team Player because, quite literally, I'm not wearing the t-shirt. What t-shirt?  Paunch model's own...

I've received something rather lovely in the post today, from Barry MacKay Rare Books (specialising in print history, culture, bibliogr...

Here's a good video on why the proposed Lobbying Bill will silence public interest groups, but won't actually regulate 99% of lobbyi...

Now, I have had occasion to take Mr Peter Rhodes to task before  (and here ). He is, you'll remember, the thin-skinned local columnist w...

Students: here's a clue. If you come in to university two weeks before the academic year begins because you're worried that you hav...

Afternoon everybody! How are you all? We're in the funny period of the year between holidays and the academic year properly starting. Ou...

Work asked me to write a piece for its website on Seamus Heaney for people unfamiliar with his poetry: longer than the one I posted earlier ...

Like many of you, I've been following the political class's anguish over the defeated Syria vote with some amazement. Here's Dav...

I have nothing to add to the outpouring of sadness at Seamus Heaney's death. He can speak for himself: It is always better to avenge d...

Some of you may wish to skip today's entry: those of you who read me in search of thrills and spills, because I'm just going to dron...

Hi everyone. Not much from me for the next couple of days. I'm off to London in an hour, ready for tomorrow's conference: Anti-Commu...

Doing Clearing today. It's quiet. Too damn quiet. Though I have made some offers to some lovely people. If they sound downcast I point o...

Good afternoon from the Midlands! The sun's shining, enough colleagues are back for the first collective moan of the new academic year, ...