What I'm Reading Now
Dr James Inglis
Headteacher
John Wilkes was one of the most extraordinary and recognisable characters of the eighteenth century. In Parliament he was a fierce critic of the government and he used his newspaper, The North Briton, to help bring down the administration of Prime Minister Lord Bute. Expelled as an MP and prosecuted for libel, he staged a highly publicised return and became one of the key figures associated with securing freedom of the press.
Throughout his life, Wilkes adopted multiple guises, undergoing a series of apparently contradictory reinventions. Having started out as a libertine young man about town, he became an MP before spending several years in exile and in prison prior to his election as Lord Mayor of London. A talented classicist, he was also a seedy pornographer; vicious in his relations with many women, he was nonetheless devoted to his daughter. His behaviour divided friend and foe alike.
This new book, marking the 250th anniversary of Wilkes’s election as Lord Mayor, seeks to uncover the enigma of a man who fascinated his own period and remains an important symbol of freedom to this day.
Miss Meg Bone
Teacher
It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost?
Welcome back to Clarkson’s Farm . . .
Where the spring barley crop has failed. Just like the oil seed rape. And the oats turned the colour of a hearing aid. The mushrooms went mouldy. While the sheep, pigs and cows cost more than they earned. At least, the farm shop’s doing a roaring trade in candles – even if they smell like Jeremy’s knacker hammock.
So never mind the rain, the skirmishes with the local planning department and the gargantuan hole in Jeremy’s wallet. Because it’s hard to feel too gloomy about life when there’s a JCB telehandler, a crop-spraying hovercraft and a digger waiting in the barn.
For any man with several metric tons of powerful machinery at his fingertips must be doing something right . . .
Miss Molly Churchward
Teacher
A personal code for a healthier, happier you
When did life get so busy? Work, family, exercise - they're all important but there's never enough time. How can you effortlessly achieve a healthy balance between them all so you can reach your potential?
The Rules of Living Well are here to help. Covering everything from mindfulness, mental health, wellbeing, longevity, energy, balance, perspective, relaxation to exercise, you'll find simple ways to have a healthy attitude and be your best self.
What are you waiting for?