Monthly Archives: October 2011

“Must find chest of drawers …” I’ve been seeking a chest of drawers to fit in a small, 85cm wide alcove in my flat. The quest sent me into a zombie-like trance, scanning eBay at midnight, murmuring: “chest of drawers, chest of drawers …” The trouble’s the chest can’t be wider than 85cm and an eBay search...

In my family, I’m generally not the first person who springs to mind if an auntie needs a new shelf put up, or my dad wants a second opinion on some bathroom grouting. "Dan’s not the ‘practical sort’" is the general mantra. So when confronted with a car mechanic, talking of faulty V-belts and worn gear box...

‘Quantitative easing’ is all the rage today after the Bank of England announced it is "increasing the size of its asset purchase programme by £75 billion to £275 billion". You what? Most people won’t have a clue what that means. Quantitative easing sounds like some kind of over-the-counter medicine or an A-level maths test. The reality is...