Category Archives: Uncategorized

On puns, placards and political protest

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Sue

On Saturday 23 March 2019 around 1 million people (including me) took to the streets of London to show our disgust at the Brexit shambles and to demand a #PeoplesVote. I’ve no idea if it will make any difference but … Continue reading →

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Typography of the people, by the people, for the people

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Sue

Every now and then someone takes something mundane and spins it into gold, just like Rumplestinkskin. Today, among the angry, anxious chatter about Brexit and Trump on my Twitter feed, there came a retweet that brightened my day and made … Continue reading →

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Less is more in business writing

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Sue

We live in world supersaturated with words. Written words, spoken words; in print and online – there’s an endless stream of them assaulting our senses. Getting your message or your company story heard amongst all the other voices is getting … Continue reading →

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Swearing – a sign of wit and intelligence?

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Sue

It might seem counterintuitive but scientists have found that swearing fluency is actually a sign of more intelligence and greater vocabulary rather than less. As Richard Stevens, writing in The Conversation says: … swearing appears to be a feature of … Continue reading →

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Language loss in dementia: you have to laugh

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Sue

  I’m glad we had the times together just to laugh and sing a song, seems like we just got started and then before you know it, the times we had together were gone.  Dr Seuss My mother has a … Continue reading →

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Chipping in on ‘chipping in’ …

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Sue

  Twice in one week recently I received requests asking me ‘to chip in’, rather than make a contribution, or to donate money.  It made me wonder if it was the start of a trend, with  organisations trying to soften … Continue reading →

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Cracking wise – the art of the hard-boiled sentence

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Sue

Writing hard-boiled crime fiction isn’t as easy as it may seem. Although it appears to have a consistent structure, and a heavy emphasis on style, putting the elements together to create truly memorable lines takes skill. The prose of writers … Continue reading →

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Humanist celebrants celebrate humanity

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Sue

At the beginning of 2016 I was accepted onto a British Humanist Association (BHA) training programme to become a humanist wedding celebrant. It’s been a fascinating experience and I’m looking forward to working with couples to help them shape meaningful … Continue reading →

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The perils of pronouncing Irish names

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Sue

I love Irish names with their soft Gaelic sounds. I’m half Irish so when my first daughter was born I wanted to reflect her heritage by giving her an Irish name. We chose Siobhán – a name that wikipedia tells me … Continue reading →

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Decoding the Russian alphabet

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Sue

A recent trip to St Petersburg in Russia was a delight. I was there at the end of June, during the period of the White Nights, when the sun doesn’t set. It’s a magical time to visit this gorgeous city … Continue reading →

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