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John Avison: Harmonica music of a distant past

IF I have a brand on the Examiner, it will be in extolling the virtues of the past. Read

John Avison: Avison’s light bulb moment

IT suddenly dawned on me that today – that is, the day you'll be reading this – is the first of a New Year. Read

John Avison: Scared, fooled or amused by ‘the real’ Santa?

THE house was full, the Christmas lights were on, the children and grandchildren were gathered round us, and it was time to open the first round of presents. Read

John Avison: Shall we tell the Prime Minister?

MONEY is said to make the world go round. I can exclusively reveal that this is not so. The trick is down to complicated gravitational imperatives. Read

John Avison: Finding our way in the dark

THERE were four of us in the hire car and we wanted to get from Cork to Bantry. Read

John Avison: Shedding light on winter traditions

THE Festival of Light show in the town centre, it was announced enthusiastically from the stage in Macaulay Street, was by real Spanish people with real Spanish fireworks. Read

John Avison: A Shining example

I WAS idly thumbing through radio stations in a traffic jam recently and heard some presenter say: "In addition, a free bonus gift ..." Read

John Avison: I have choice views on this technology

THERE once was a time and a place for everything. Even the writers of the Bible knew this (Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 1). Read

John Avison: Looking at life's humorous side

WHAT kind of joke makes you laugh? I suspect there’s no easy answer. There certainly isn’t for me. Read

John Avison: A licence to thank the bank staff

A FEW days ago I lost my driving licence. Read

John Avison: Way with words...

I HAD a bit of a rant recently about the use of ‘from whence’ when ‘whence’ already means ‘from where’. Read

John Avison: Assistant didn't fade away

A COUPLE of weeks ago we were staying with relatives in Ireland. Read

John Avison: Soliders who pay with their lives

I WEAR my poppy with pride. I am amazed and grateful that each year thousands of young men and women join the armed forces to do the defending our freedom thing out there in a very unfriendly world. Read

John Avison: No pleasing folk

THEY always say it takes 10 Irish people to change a light bulb; one to put the new one in, the other nine to write sentimental folk songs about how good the old one was. Read

John Avison: Shock figures for alcohol's victims

THERE are between 10,000 and 12,000 alcohol-dependent people in Kirklees, which has a population of 401,000. Read

John Avison: Shock figures for alcohol's victims

THERE are between 10,000 and 12,000 alcohol-dependent people in Kirklees, which has a population of 401,000. Read

John Avison: Why I wince when I hear from whence

I’M a huge fan of the English language, as my reader will have gathered. I use it all the time. Read

John Avison: The sinister side of trainers

JULIE Sykes of Highburton writes in to tell me that she’s just finished a new crime novel by author Mark Billingham, in which she discovered that trainers and suchlike tangled over telephone and power lines by their laces have a rather ominous symbolism. Read

John Avison: The banks have even sold our tea bags

WHO owns Britain? You might think you do, through the normal democratic channels. Read

John Avison: A victory for plain speaking

HARROW Council has decreed that civil enforcement officers should now be known as traffic wardens, school crossing patrols are back to being lollipop ladies and civic amenity sites are just plain old dumps. Read