Category: Uncategorized
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Note on snow
The snow is coming down diagonally. Driving hard. Gusts of wind swirling fat bumblebee flakes round road signs and street lights before hurrying them away into the dark. The cat appears at the window, doing its best to look pleading. He wants in. Seconds later he is in front of the fire drying off, nose…
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Dingle Marshes to Doggerland
This was a country diary piece written for Suffolk Magazine. It is a day of bluster and blow, of boiling sea and blistering spray. A time when the coast is truly alive; its shingle pulse roaring and racing with the tide. I’m walking into the wind and on to the shingle ridge that forms the…
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If we value hares, we shouldn’t shoot them all year long
This piece first appeared in the East Anglian Daily Times in response to the selling of hare locally. I’ve since had some criticism from the NFU about not mentioning hare coursing. I didn’t touch on the subject of coursing here as it is something that is thankfully illegal and – judging by the number of listings…
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An otter of my imagination
The bats appear out of the twilight, like shadows made solid. Flitting and falling at tremendous speeds over the water, they melt into the evening sky before taking form again as they belt after the midges that form low-lying, nibbling clouds above the hide. As one makes a tie-fighter dive across our line of vision Sam…
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An allegory on asylum
This piece was first published in the East Anglian Daily Times as a commentary on the county’s and the country’s attitudes to asylum seekers. Some of those commenting below the line conflated the issue with immigration (as the Government has also chosen to) but there you go – you can’t win them all. Oh those scrounging…
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We must not allow barbaric hunting to return through the back door
This opinion piece was due to appear in the East Anglian Daily Times today, but following the SNP’s intervention the Government thankfully shelved the vote (for now). Anyway, the arguments against hunting and the views put forward by those who supported the amendments to the Hunting Act remain valid – so here is the piece…
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It’s our responsibility to educate children about relationships and gender – not just the mechanics of sex
I wrote this column a couple of weeks ago for The East Anglian Daily Times, but given what’s happened today with the return of the Page 3 in The Sun, I felt it’s worth a share again. The issue of Page 3 isn’t about ‘yogurt knitting’ lefties raging against ‘harmless tabloid fun’ or as the more…
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To oppose feminism is to oppose equality
This column was originally published in The East Anglian Daily Times. Since publication, I’ve received a few emails asking if I’m a man and others furious that I also mention UKIP. I tend to avoid reading below the line (it’s generally not a heartwarming experience) but for the sake of clarity the inclusion of UKIP…
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Climate change – overcoming a perfect moral storm
This weekend I was one of 40,000 people who took part in the Climate March in London. The event was one of more than 2,000 taking place in 150 countries to urge political leaders to take action on climate change. Before we set off I was interviewed and asked why I was marching and why I…
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How to turn your child into a sports star
Following a chat about sports day and teaching kids about winning and losing, I was reminded of a piece I wrote for The Telegraph a couple of months ago. It’s the primary school sports day this week and I’m feeling guilty. While my preparation for the centrepiece “dad’s race” has been almost flawless (the personal…
Matt Gaw 