Lucy Coats's Blog

• Keeping Silent

  September 11, 2009

  • I'm wearing it now.  My mother's aquamarine engagement ring.  She gave it to me when my daughter was born, just as she gave me, on my son's birth, the amethyst ring my father presented her with on the occasion of my own.  But you see, it's not really her engagement ring.  It's the replacement.  And what she doesn't know is the story behind that.  How could she? I've never told her. And I ...
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• A Sequel by Someone Else?

  September 1, 2009

  • There's a sequel by someone else to one of your favourite children's books. It's sitting there on the shelf, calling to you with a siren whisper. "Now you can find out WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. C'mon, you KNOW you want to." But do you? Do you really? Just published is Hilary McKay's answer to Frances Hodgson Burnett's 'A Little Princess', called 'Wishing For Tomorrow'. I've ordered it, but ...
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• Bad Manners - or Manners Makyth Man?

  August 27, 2009

  • The first written code of manners could be said to be found in the 10 Commandments. Leaving aside the religious exhortations, it is basic politeness not to covet your neighbour's wife, or ox (Ferrari) or ass (VW Golf) or any of his material possessions. Adultery with the neighbour's (or anyone else's) wife is pretty low on the bad manners front--and as for murder, well there's not many ruder acts ...
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