…xchange of eye-daggers as the awful truth sets in. Pas d’escargots! A snail-free soirée loomed. Merde! “Listen,” she said, flustered, “Just go down to the riverside and grab snails, any old snails. They won’t know the difference. They’re English after all.” Feeling that it wasn’t really his fault, he put aside this minor injustice and complied. He pulled on his wellies, grabbed a bucket from the kitchen cupboard and headed off into the fading ligh… Continue reading →

…now?” I asked. All bravado had evaporated with a fast encroaching not-such-a-good-idea feeling. Had Alastair noticed my growing discomfort? I started to worry that my pal was enjoying my worry. This was, quite simply, not the sort of thing that I did. I was a medical student FFS. “Look! A proper pub!” he cried with delight. The Double Diamond! The owner was a scot named Andy. He thought two broke blokes with English accents wearing kilts was a re… Continue reading →

…it will be widely acknowledged as a pillar of national integrity going hand-in-hand with national security. This broader view of the importance of health care is generating two welcome developments. First, care homes are coming to be seen as part of the overall health-care system and not just as long-term, entry-only storage facilities for old people. This had to happen at some point because of the increasing proportion of elderly people in every… Continue reading →