The debonair Basil Marigold's

My wife owns a very stupid car. Here is the story and I am sure once you have read the story you will agree too! On Sunday the main car I use, we shall call it, 'The Amazing Car' had a little issue in that it started to make an unpleasant noise. Fortunately I was able to use my wife's car, as she was not at work this day. This allowed me to get the car to the garage to see if we could get it fixed. Nobody told me it was a stupid car. I have driven this car before. It is a tiny Toyota Yaris. It is something that I don't fit into so comfortably, but it can be done. So, it was done and I set off for work on Monday, knowing how to turn on the lights, and the windscreen wipers! what else do I need to know. The pedals were all in the familiar place, too! While travelling down the motorway I wondered to myself looking at the dashboard that the trip metre was set at 1000 miles, so I wondered to myself 'How many miles has the Yaris done?' This was quite an easy t

I mentioned a few weeks ago about the sudden demise of my favourite pen shop in Nottingham, Pensense. It was a hammer blow to my heart!  However, I am not one to dwell and have decided that this great hole in my heart must be filled. So, I have found a new hobby!  I shall become a coin collector!  Here is my first real effort. It is a silver Antoninianus. It is 1780 years old. It could have been minted between 238 - 244ACE. We know this because it shows the profile of the Roman Emperor, Gordian III   He became the youngest sole emperor in 238 at 13 years old. He died, or was assassinated in 244 by his close friends or closer generals after the Roman Army was defeated in battle near modern day Fallijah, in Iraq, by the Persians.  It still, even now, amazes me at how far the influence and marching of the Roman army was. From a capital in Italy they were defeated 2,400 miles away on some dusty plain. In the end, either during the battle or afterwards Gordian died aged 19 yrs old. A six-ye