A dog owner from Haversham, Buckinghamshire, has described his pet's remarkable ability to understand time. Harvey Gilbert writes that his dog barks when it is time to get up, walks to his bowl and stares when it is time to eat, looks at his lead and refuses to move when it is time for a walk, and even knows when it is time for a chat during shaving. Gilbert suggests other pets may have similar temporal awareness.
GP Recalls Memory Test Blunder
Tim Gent, a former GP from Norwich, recounts a memory assessment mishap. He was testing a patient's recall using standard questions but forgot to check if the patient remembered the address he had given. Later, the patient encountered him in a supermarket and not only pointed out the mistake but also recited the address correctly.
Patient's Sharp Retort in Hospital
Anne Allgar from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, shares a story about her sister's memory test in hospital. When asked “What is your name?”, her sister retorted, “Can’t you read!? It’s on the board behind me!” – where it was indeed displayed.
Welsh Language Defended
Fiona Collins from Carrog, Sir Ddinbych, reacts with shock to a suggestion that “Britain risks becoming a monolingual island”. She points to Wales as a clear counterexample, exclaiming “Dim o gwbl!” (No way!).
A Word for Hot and Humid Weather
Michael Heaton from Warminster, Wiltshire, offers a regional term for hot and humid weather: “puthered”, used in his Cheshire childhood. The derived “puthery” describes such conditions.
