World of Insanity by David Palethorpe Once upon a time, there was a fine line between sanity and insanity. I mention this because these days it feels like every other day brings a “major, significant” opinion poll (their words, not mine) on just about everything you can imagine. People may outwardly grumble about them, but secretly many…

When Power Kills the Law by David Palethorpe International law still exists on paper. But when the world’s most powerful nations can disregard it without consequence, does it retain any meaningful authority? The United Nations Security Council has been paralysed by its own design. Its five permanent members possess the power to veto substantive action—and…

The British Weather: Too Wet, Too Hot, and Somehow Still Our Fault by David Palethorpe We had “a drop of rain” yesterday morning in Ipplepen which naturally for all of us who meet whilst walking our dogs became that major topic of conversation and the fact that the world seems intent in going to hell…

Left v Right – Or – Just Leave Us Alone by David Palethorpe There is something rather amusing about modern politics. Mention that you disagree with one policy and, apparently, you have immediately revealed your true identity. Disagree with the right? You must be a left-wing socialist. Disagree with the left? Clearly, you are a…

USS Abraham Lincoln The USS Abraham Lincoln: What Does Its Extraordinary Deployment Tell Us About America’s War with Iran? by David Palethorpe As a former Royal Navy Warrant Officer there is something deeply uncomfortable about the story of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Not because an American aircraft carrier has spent an extraordinary amount of time at…

From My Perspective, “From My Perspective” Is Doing a Lot of Heavy Lifting By David Palethorpe In a recent interview on BBC a Senior Westminster politician in answer to questions used the phrase, ‘from by perspective’ on five occasions which raises the question what exactly does that mean? There is a local councillor who has…

Devon Cannot Build Its Future on a Water Deficit by David Palethorpe South-West Water delivered a letter of 7 August 2026 asking, in fact informing, households across Devon and the wider South-West to accept restrictions on hosepipe use because prolonged dry weather, below-average rainfall and sustained demand have put water supplies under exceptional pressure. In…

At What Point – Water At What Point? By David Palethorpe There comes a point in every national conversation when somebody has to ask the most inconvenient question of all: At what point do we admit that we haven’t learned the lesson? For those of us old enough to remember 1976, it is difficult to…

FIRST DAY MONDAY 10 AUGUST 1964 By David Palethorpe Sixty-two years ago today, I started my working life as a straight from school fresh-faced fifteen-year-old apprentice electrician with the National Coal Board at Silverwood Colliery. Yes —for those of a younger generation raised through the comprehensive school system- back in 1964 you could leave school…

The World Is Not as Awful as Your Phone Would Have You Believe by David Palethorpe I spent 23 years in the Royal Navy and, during that time, was fortunate enough to travel to more parts of the world than I can now remember without the assistance of an atlas, a ship’s log or possibly…