Writers
Susan Grimsdell
After retiring from audiology some years ago, Susan’s finding life’s pretty good with lots of time to do what she likes. That includes walking, reading, having coffee with friends, and a bit of activism thrown in. Also, day by day doing her best not to worry too much over the many threats to our gorgeous planet.
Read Susan’s Blog
Trevor Plumbly
Meet Trevor. He’s had quite a colourful career, from his early days as a pub manager in Tunbridge Wells he went on to become Dunedin’s leading auctioneer. Trevor is a published author and was something of a TV personality in the 1980s as a regular panellist on a show about antiques.
Read Trevor’s Blog
Emily Smart
Emily is very loud, and has really bad taste in cheesy pop music. When not at work flogging goods to the public via advertising and marketing campaigns, she can be found hiding from her partner and children at the local pub. If you’re easily offended or don’t appreciate the constant use of profanities, then you probably shouldn’t read Emily’s posts. You have been warned!
Read Emily’s Blog
Angela Caldin
Angela has had many roles in her life including: schoolgirl, student, daughter, friend, civil servant, wife, lover, mother, manager, magistrate, landlady, teacher, grandmother, blogger, editor and proofreader.
Read Angela’s Blog
The latest
The ethics of the vaccine booster by Angela Caldin
‘Nobody is safe until everyone is safe.’ I take that to mean that, as we’re in the middle of a pandemic affecting the whole world, it would be logical to ensure that the whole world is vaccinated, not just the wealthy bits of it. Many developed countries, including the UK, the US and several EU member states, have rolled out booster vaccination programmes. The thinking behind the booster campaigns is that a third round of vaccination provides an extra defence against Covid-19, at a time when protection might be starting to diminish…. Read More
Calling bluffs by Susan Grimsdell
No jab no job There are places where you can find true information, based on well-designed impartial research, rather than fake, so-called information, based on people’s opinions and gut reactions. For example, we hear a lot of people yelling that they would quit their jobs if the “no jab no job” policy goes ahead. When it comes to the crunch however, people seem to have second thoughts, most of them take a closer look at their household budgets alongside their pay packets, and lo – their carefully contrived objections to the vaccine… Read More
Man’s inhumanity to man by Angela Caldin
The images of those refugees on the border between Belarus and Poland are haunting me. Thousands of them are braving the cold along with extreme hardship in an attempt to get into Europe. Young people, old people, families with young children, people in need of medical treatment, all huddled and herded together with little shelter, food, water or medical attention. At least twelve have died because of the dreadful conditions. At first I thought they must be fleeing the harsh regime in Belarus, but now I understand that they are migrants and… Read More
Modem installation barriers by Susan Grimsdell
Language barrier Recently my modem played up and, on phoning Orcon, I was told that it needed replacing. Quite magical that they can check it at a distance like that. OK, new modem arrives – just swap it over, what could be simpler than that. I’m not stupid – I can read instructions and follow pictures on a diagram. Well, yes, I can read instructions when they’re in English. What about “plug the small end of the ethernet cable into the port on the filter”. “Ethernet” – which dictionary has that word… Read More
The Writers
We’re four Brits who made the big move from the UK to the other side of the world. We love New Zealand, the English language having a good laugh and the occasional moan. Ah, just read our posts and you’ll get the gist.
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