Many important people call for things in the press. I’d like now to call for our young people to take part in science, engineering, technology, maths and design for the good of the national economy and to help solve our …

The transit stops on a Northern moor
A frown in a peaked-cap slams the door

‘Scrote’,  ‘Screw’, ‘Snout’ and ‘Stretch’
He’ll show you the ropes, will our Fletch

Horseblanket uniforms, soupy grey
Crossing off sentences, day upon day.

In the …

(With apologies to Len Deighton, this is my attempt at a humorous, poetic tribute to Harry Palmer, cold war hero of The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin)

Insubordinate Sergeant Palmer ,…

Some colours seem to have a strong emotional effect on me. So strong that I can’t imagine wearing red or driving a green car.

Bond. By 1965, the James Bond marketing …

Some counselling, tea and sympathy from a reformed Belfast hardman.

(Actually, this is Belfast, so don’t expect sympathy   -and the tea’s extra).

On being reawakened, I was aware of travelling in a shocktrain as it flashed past the numberless nutripharms of what might well have been the new Muungano province. Never sure how long I’d been in suspenshun, I quickly checked the …

I tapped twice on my forearm and the control patch appeared. Once I selected ‘mymood’ the soot took on a sombre dark blue shade with scrolling pinstripes. I’d started the day feeling buoyant but now my heart was literally on …

Since childhood, I’ve always been overly concerned not to allow anything entrusted to me to be damaged.

When I first saw a micrograph of the surface of a polished mirror, it was a revelation. What the hell were all those ridges …

Scene:
An elevator in a big city bank, professional home to Mr Zertnbacker: Venture Capitalist. He looks like an elephant seal in a sweaty, striped shirt and paisley tie under a Jermyn St three- piece suit(e).

Mr Z’s uninvited visitor is Erwin: …

I wasn’t born with oddly shaped feet. They just grew that way. It’s not actually the shape that’s so weird. It’s the aspect ratio of roughly 1.0 (which corresponds to HHH you’ve-got-to-be-joking ultrawide fitting). This would be hard enough to …