Thrifty word challenge 100 #64: Censorship — I was once subjected to censorship in court. Accused of benefit fraud after failing to declare a change in circumstances — I didn’t reveal my marriage to Department of Work and Pensions — I was subsequently convicted and had to repay back all the money I had claimed. What I…

Thrifty Word Challenge 100 #78: Airports — Imagine living and working in a country for twenty, thirty, forty, or more years, then being told you are an illegal immigrant because immigration laws were tightened several times since you arrived in said country as a child on your parents’ passport. Imagine being told that your school, hospital, tax…

Thrifty Word Challenge 100 #78: & Fifty #99: Airports — I once heard airports described as portals to paradise. I’m not quite sure about the paradise part but portals is right I think. You step into one, get onto a plane and when you step out on the other side you’re in a whole different world. My experience of airports…

Thrifty word challenge 100 #77: Forget — Last Sunday when I went to pack for my holiday I doublechecked my written list to make sure I had everything I needed for a week away from home. Yes, green ticks everywhere — against all my meds, my passport and toothbrush. Alas, upon unpacking on the other side, I…

Thrifty word challenge # 76: Blank — Remember my story about how I had to step up and ask for the music to be turned down after our street party had finished? I met the woman who had invited the sound system people to come and play that day for the first time since then last week…

Thrifty Words Roundup 100 #75: & Fifty #96: Shit — What a week it’s been. Here in the UK, the prime minister was forced to resign after being found to be a big fat liar – again. In Japan, a former prime minister was assassinated. In tennis, Nadal won his quarter-final despite a 6 cm tear in his abdomen, a…

Thrifty Word Challenge 100 #75: & Fifty #96: Shit — It was one of my last days holidaying on the beautiful island of St Lucia and I was standing at a bus stop waiting to go into town. …