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I don’t know why it is that we Brits don’t go much on philosophy: apart from John Stuart Mill (of his own free will) I can’t think of another English philosopher, though the Scots seem to have more of a bent for it than we do: I always think the Scots are more European than us anyway.  Ordinary people in England don’t seem to go in for it, whereas people you meet in, say, France or Spain, come out with wondering, philosophical statements on an almost daily basis.  In my experience, that is.  Whereas the ordinary English person just complains about the buses.

Mark’s latest idea – geographical rather than philosophical – is about city centres moving over time.  Leicester City centre has moved around a bit, though it is now clearly at the Clock Tower; London has notoriously moved all over the place as have other cities: and it occurred to Mark to wonder whether there are some cities that have just gradually crept along.  I like that idea.  In fact I may feel a story coming on…

Various other unformed thoughts this morning involving the Thompson Twins, whose name was taken from the spectacularly boring ‘Tintin’ stories; I don’t know if the film is any better but I found the illustrated stories dull beyond belief.  I am tempted to make some comment about Belgium but I will refrain, partly because I dislike stereotyping and partly because their divine chocolate and heavenly beer redeem them as a nation.

There was a programme on the radio the other day about Gollies (originally known as gollywogs) of which I had one as a child.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016wzrz

I also had a book called ‘Little Black Sambo’ about an African boy who was attacked by tigers and made them run in a circle and follow each other’s tails until they all turned into marmalade: the image of the tigers turning into marmalade has stayed with me all this time.  I think the racism at the time was of a patronising ‘let’s all help our woolly-haired brothers and sisters’ kind rather than something nastier, but I have no excuse to offer for it.

Mark has just informed me that as a child he used to take a pencil to bed.  ”Was there lead in it?” I asked.

Fnarr, fnarr.

Today I shall be mostly… writing while Mark goes to Loughborough, and going to Mirch Marsala for some quality time with my significant other.

Who is Mark.  LOL

Kirk out