Book Review: The Long Petal Of The Sea
“The Long Petal Of The Sea” (published by Bloomsbury, 2020) by Isabel Allende is a work of historical fiction which
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Author: Jo Kirk
Opinion: Rage Against The Machine
As with so many things these days which are downloaded from computers, East Midlands Railways’ (EMR) timetables give information that
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Opinion: Where Are We Now?
People need agency. It is a human right. Many people lack agency – the more disenfranchised and disadvantaged they are,
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When The Loonies Came To Town Pt. 1
Some Nailed coverage has been delayed due to short staffing and illness. Top hats and peacock feathers abounded. The assembled
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Opinion Column: On Populism
In Ece Temelkuran’s “How To Lose A Country: The Seven Steps From Democracy To Dictatorship” (4th Estate, 2019) Temelkuran problematizes
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Review: Short Play Festival
In a packed “Little Theatre” in the Old King’s Head there was an attentive audience for the Short Play Festival
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Book Review: The Nature of Spring by Jim Crumley
For a view from Northern Scotland and the Islands and a weather eye on the climate with a sensitivity to
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Poetry: Kingfisher
“My observations from a bridge overlooking the river Derwent on 18th February 2019.” Kingfisher by Jo Kirk I am
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Poem: Birdwatch Hour
Marking the end of the Big Garden Birdwatch run by the RSPB from 26th-28th January 2019, which asked members of
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Opinion: Protest To Save Babington Echoes Start Of Fightback
‘SAVE BABINGTON HOSPITAL’ read the placards. Protests stopped the traffic and cars tooted their horns in support. Many people believe
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Was The Brexit Referendum Democratic?
In “Democracy And Its Crisis” A C Grayling states that the proportion of the electorate that voted to leave the
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Book Review: Rainforest, Dispatches from Earth’s Most Vital Frontlines
Rainforest is a personal story, drawing on Tony’s many years’ experience at the frontline of the fight to save the
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Book Review: Ground Work – Writings On People And Places
We are living in the anthropocene – an epoch where everything is being determined by the activities of just one
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Jo Kirk: Short Story ‘Keeping Cool’
A green corner in the shade. She felt the cold stone bring relief to her feet. What a summer! The
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Spring Observations: Jo Kirk
I didn’t see any nuthatches last year so was delighted to see one early in March looking for insects on
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Celebrate Dylan Thomas Day With Nailed
May 14th is officially Dylan Thomas Day. It commemorates his life and work and is the 65th anniversary of Dylan
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Jo Kirk: Narcissi
Narcissi Trumpets unpleated from a bud, held tight their heads an elegant stretch their stems slender necks, drifting birds
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Opinion: The Hermeneutics Of A Hermit Of The Real
Social media and Facebook have been in the news lately. As someone who may seem a bit of an anachronism
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Winter Observations: Jo Kirk
January and February are often the coldest months of the year and although snowdrops are flowering another cold spell is
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Plastic Free February: Schools Library Service Presents New Exhibition
The Schools Library Service has an exhibition of beautiful objects made from recycled materials which are currently on display in
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Autumn Observations: Jo Kirk
This autumn (late August – mid November) I have seen young collared doves, terns riding the thermals, a large black/brown
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Book Review: The Plant Messiah by Carlos Magdalena
Having spent much of his childhood in the mountains of the Basque country, his mother a florist and a great
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Review: 60 Degrees North by Malachy Tallack
At this time of year, as our thoughts turn to the North and the weatherman forecasts a weather front from
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Review: One in a MILLion Exhibition – Belper North Mill
Twinkly guitar music plays in the basement of Belper’s North Mill as I look at the shimmering threads in a
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Jo Kirk: On Freedom
On Freedom When I think of freedom I think of birds and words for we live in language and
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Birds, Moths and Amphibians
Birds are perhaps our closest meeting with the wild and may be the reason why the RSPB (Royal Society for
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Well Worth Celebrating
This weekend’s Well Dressings at the River Gardens provided a wonderful outdoor gallery of creative endeavour as people ambled down
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Belper Goes Green Poem: Festival
Butterfly mandalas and colours and lights and pancakes and oatcakes and tee-shirts and bikes and badges and raffles and
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International Dawn Chorus Day: Birds At Dawn
The short poem was written while I was listening to Radio 4’s six and a half hour broadcast of birdsong
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Election Special: Zeitgeist
General election electorate inspection Brexit for the nation remainers’ consternation Scotland losing patience Europe fearing racists May wants
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Fracking Month: Spell
N is for nature, wondrous and wild, O for the ozone that nearly retired, F for forget-me-not, fennel and furze,
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