JOHN MARTIN

NEWSPAPER editor Jack Liver came from the old school of journalism. Legend had it that he once threw a typewriter out of his window in a blind rage. He ruled with an iron fist. That was the way he was brought up in newspapers and he said it never did him any harm. He firmly… Continue reading The rise and fall of editor Jack Liver

I wonder if Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton had our kitchen refrigerator in mind when they got to thinking deeply about physics? Don’t laugh. Our fridge would be a veritable treasure trove for scientists with inquiring minds. Only the other night, when I raided the fridge for a midnight snack, I found a chicken that… Continue reading Raiding the fridge is all relative

I do not want to crow, but I’ve just had my first flu vaccine shot. My doctor jabbed me at the top of my left arm and, despite my apprehension, the needle hardly hurt. The only thing that worries me now is that before the jab I was sitting alone in the doctor’s room with… Continue reading Are you feeling clucky, punk

MICHAEL was born with a deformity which prevented him from being a proficient handyman. It was not a particularly visible deformity. In fact, the midwife who delivered him had not even noticed his deficiency. He seemed to have all the bits and pieces he would need in life — two legs, two arms, 10 fingers… Continue reading Curse of the unhandyman

Alas, my mate Orville is not the sensitive kind. When he heard I had just lost my job, he was quick to tell me it was actually my fault. ‘My fault!” I said. “How can it be my fault? My editor called me into his office and told me to make my next column my… Continue reading Don’t hobnob with doorknobs