September 2010 Issue 102

A woman in our village was was telling me the other day of a bolshie parrot called Toby, more of a screecher than a speaker. When there are ebullient children around, Toby always tries to drown any noise they make with his own din. He insists on screeching loudest and longest. He’s also inclined to [...]

I think it’s time that I pleaded guilty. I borrowed books from Dewsbury Library’s adult lending department while I was still a junior. The official age to begin using the adult library was 14. I was 11 when I started to regularly take out books, using my Dad’s ticket. For a boy addicted to adventure [...]

The University of the Third Age. Sounds rather grand, don’t you think? In my local U3A branch anyone over 50 can “study” line dancing, salsa and swing, aromatherapy. There are classes in bridge and chess, scrabble and mahjong. Languages? French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Latin have been on offer. There are history and literature [...]

Peter Hinchliffe reveals his circus blushes. The first time I went to a circus I got a bigger laugh than the clowns. We were on holiday in North Wales. Dad thought it was time I was introduced to the tinsel and thrills of the Big Top. I still blush when I recall the events of [...]

The snake lady wandered one lunchtime into the Texas daily newspaper office where I worked. The only reporter on duty descended the steps from the news room to see what she wanted. “Thought you’d like to write about my hobby,’’ she said. “What’s that?’’ asked the reporter, not anticipating much of a story. “I catch [...]

Mary was eight when she went on a train trip to Bridlington. Her father and two younger sisters accompanied her on the day out. Mum stayed at home in the Yorkshire mining village where they lived. The girls were excited. They rarely went to the seaside. They were looking forwards to playing on the sands [...]