Author Archives: simon
Leicester – city of no surprises
I went to a vegetarian restaurant the other day. (Bear with me on this.) The food was terrific. But more than that, Halli Restaurant somehow summed up the idea of a plural city, a symbol of a very modern take … Continue reading
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BLASTED BISHOP/ SILLY MUSLIMS
So the Bishop gets of for actually hurting somebody’s life and the three foul mouthed, aggressive Muslims go to gaol despite the fact that they just shouted nasty things and offended everyone. Shouldn’t the bishop go to prison and the … Continue reading
Posted in The Guardian, Uncategorized
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GANGS
I have been talking to young people. And it scared me. They were basically lovely. Four lads from North London. They are all 14 and have the innocent posturing of the almost young man plus of course the bum fluff … Continue reading
Posted in Reconciliation, Society, Uncategorized
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Back it don’t copy it
Pat Stewart is remarkable. She takes for granted that someone has to do what she does and it might as well be her. She set up a project in Gorton in Manchester called On The Streets (OTS). I made a … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Society, Uncategorized
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Blame the Parents – I say
Everyone is talking about manners in Britain. Naturally there should be a queue. And I want to talk about manners. But after you, of course. Nice, warm cuddly things they are. Everyone wants them. There’s even a National Day of … Continue reading
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Shaun – a self build man
When I ring Shaun he is checking the fire alarms at the Tyneside Cyrenians building. He’s their maintenance man. Not so long ago, if I’d rung him he’d probably have been drunk. He drank to pass the time. He was … Continue reading
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Brian & Amy – Love’s learning curve
This journey started when I met Brian and Amy at a conference. The plan was that I interview them in front of an audience of support workers. It was a gathering brought together by Support Action Net, which is a … Continue reading
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Tony Miller – a great public servant
Over the months I have written about many people whose resilience, intelligence, quirkiness or ordinariness tell us a story about public service – the best and the worst of it. At the core of all these tales is a belief … Continue reading
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I’m Free
John Inman is dead. But Mr Humphries is alive and well in a number of surprising hearts. Mine included. “Are You being Served?” ran for a gratifyingly suggestive 69 episodes between 1972 and 1985. And many gay men hated it. … Continue reading
Posted in Blog Posts, Celebrity Profiles, Uncategorized
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Public service dilemma of conscience versus bigotry
Public service dilemma of conscience versus bigotry Simon Fanshawe Wednesday February 21, 2007 Guardian My friend Brendan is a doctor, and a Catholic. I have another friend, also a Catholic, called Seamus, who is an adoption social worker in a … Continue reading
Posted in The Guardian, Uncategorized
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