After a mixed career as an aircraft technician, London fringe theatre playwright, Franciscan friar, and secondary school teacher, I find myself looking after the needs of four donkeys in a remote location in the mountains in the Costa Blanca. I like to listen to BBC Radio 4 and the wind in the pine trees. My favourite film of all time is "Jean de Florette" as it details the concerns of country people and quietly shows how evil enters our lives through mundane and petty matters. Now retired, I have lost the need to fight past battles and recognize that my various contributions to life - both ecclesiastical and secular - have been enjoyable, sometimes flawed, occasionally disastrous; but mostly times worth celebrating.
Some of the photos from the “Put it to the People” demonstration on Saturday. When we assembled in Parliament Square it was announced that we had achieved the target of more than a million demonstrators, making it the largest London protest in history. Certainly it was the biggest pro-Europe march in the history of the … More Historic London pro-Europe march
One year ago today 1 March 2018, I arrived early at Elians School, La Nucia, and was in my classroom at 8.30 a.m. preparing to mark pupils’ exercise books, when a management hit squad swept into the room: Company CEO Tim Lakin, backed up by Assistant Principals Sheila Davidson and Amanda Pyott, bearing a dismissal … More Elians School pays compensation
For the first time since October last year I did not listen to the Sunday politics show on the radio today, nor take my hour long tour of the Sunday newspapers online. I looked instead at the book of Exodus, and the prophet Joel, and psalm 105. I followed all the references to locusts. They … More Parable of the Locusts
From today, I have left Facebook and shall be writing only here on the Equusasinus blog, the only place where I used to be found. As I was preparing to shut down Facebook I noticed the donkeys were – as always – mirroring my thoughts. They were all spaced out on the field ignoring each … More Goodbye social media, again!
La costa jamón inglésa, translates roughly as “The English gammon coast.” I have only recently begun to realize exactly how many UK residents here in Spain voted to leave Europe. It is shocking: possibly as many as 50% according to some estimates! So, while living in Europe and enjoying all its benefits, these people decided … More La costa jamón inglésa
There is a glossy expensive traditionalist Catholic magazine in the USA called Regina. When it first came out a few years ago I was very impressed with the quality of the photographs and it was clearly backed by very impressive financial support. I read it for a few issues, but although the glossy photographs were very … More US Catholic Regina magazine says Brexit is God’s plan. A response.
It’s a calm sunny day after three days of merciless winter winds. When the donkeys have breakfasted I will give them a good slow grooming. This thread is typed and sent from my phone: there’s no hurry to get back indoors to the computer today. No anti-Brexit rush-hour now. We just set up the Aitana … More #IamEuropean: and looking ahead not back
Introduction Roland Barthes’ classic 1964 The Rhetoric of the Image was the founding essay of semiology (Fr. semiologie, also known as semiotics, the usage employed by Umberto Eco and among US academics.) The essay centres on an advert for Panzani Italian pasta products, with an image of a string shopping bag containing ingredients for an Italian … More The Rhetoric of the Moggcast
Coming soon to this blog: “The Semiology of the Mogg-cast.” I am struck by the overt display of fascistic signs and symbols in the graphic for the Mogg-person’s weekly address to the nation. Can you spot them? I am writing a semiological analysis. In the spirit of Umberto Eco and Roland Barthes, I’m going to … More What do you make of this image?
I share the following eyewitness account of yesterday’s IRISH BORDER PROTESTS here because it deserves a wider audience so that those of you residing here in Spain can see what is happening on your behalf, as well as for the people of Northern Ireland. They are at the real crunch point of Brexit where lives … More The view from the Border
