I didn’t study Simon Armitage at school or university and there’s a really good reason for that. He was born in 1963 and is about eight months younger than I…
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Did you know that today, 1st September, is World Letter Writing Day? When was the last time you wrote a letter? I know, I can’t remember, either! The last time…
The pattern is new in every momentT.S. Eliot – East Coker My year of exploring middle age, age and ageing taught me to understand the importance of change. Every single…
Because one has only learnt to get the better of words For the thing one no longer has to say, or the way in which One is no longer disposed…
What might have been and what has beenPoint to one end, which is always present. T.S.Eliot – Burnt Norton Ten years ago, for the whole of 2012, I made a…
Are you revising Macbeth for exams? Or would you just like to get to know the play better? One of my favourite suggestions is to listen to (and watch, if…
I home educated my son from the age of 13 until he went to college at 19. It’s a tough challenge, but sometimes you have to do what you know…
This is me, in my office. And this is the view that my students have during lessons. A little over two years ago, just before we were all told to…
This is Pilot Officer (Observer) 84729 Norman Frederick Dawson who served in 114 Squadron, part of the Royal Air Force’s Coastal Command and was killed when his Bristol Blenheim IV…
Have you heard of iambic pentameter? Students often tell me they know it’s important but they are not quite sure what it is. In this post, I aim to clear…
There are six adverbs we can learn quite easily that help to make Shakespeare’s language a lot simpler. They are all about direction. Why is this important? Well, the words…
Language can be precise, specific and to the point, or it can me imprecise, vague and even confusing. There are times when we want to be precise but there are…