Tony Hatfield's Retired Ramblings

Ragù alla Bolognese

I can recall nowhere in Italy, from the Veneto to Sicily, from Lazio to Puglia, where they serve what the English call "Spaghetti Bolognese". And by English spag bol, I mean a sauce made from copious amounts of tomatoes boiled... Read more →

Legless driver

When I was in practise I would have given my right arm ( sorry couldn't resist) to defend this chap. My old chum Nick Cartmell was defence counsel. Update: I don't know what's in the water up 'ere but this... Read more →

Kicked in the McTeeth

Ben Goldacre of Bad Science has been writing for some time about "Dr" Gillian McKeith, her misleading qualification, her products and loony TV behaviour on Channel4 . This morning, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has ordered a... Read more →

Tesco -Law

I'm grateful to the Magistrate's Blog for this. This is clearly what the Home Secretary, the Department of Constitutional Affairs and Lord Carter have in mind for our legal aid laywers! Read more →

The Grasshopper's Tale

A day before I read this post from Dan Goodman's blog The Samovar, I had just finished "The Grasshoppers Tale", from Richard Dawkins' " The Ancestor's Tale". Dan has spent time reading the report " The Surveillance Society" from the... Read more →

Tony, was it a Fair Trial?

I can remember how, at his latest news briefing, Blair lost his temper with those journalists who had the temerity to ask his views about the death sentence passed on Saddam Hussein. It was a typical example of Blair's bluster.... Read more →

Sentamu's Whinge

The Archbishop of York's full name and title according to his website is: The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, and I could add "the 97th Archbishop of York, Metropolitan of the province of York". Here... Read more →

Do You Know Anything Gordon?

This piece is confusing. It suggests that Scotland Yard, investigating the "Cash for Honours" allegations, have written to Gordon Brown, Alan Milburn and Ruth Kelly. They have all been asked to submit "written statements". Although, in the case of Milburn,... Read more →

Blair's Science.

I have real difficulty in taking seriously what Blair told a meeting of the Royal Society today in Oxford. I can pass over the lack of university funding that has forced university science departments to close; the woeful reduction in... Read more →