Sublime

It was Agricola who had headed north to subdue the Celtic Caledonian tribes. Tacitus wrote De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae – ‘About the life and character of Julius Agricola’ – to heap praise upon his wife’s father. Part of the sucking up required ensuring the great general was challenged by worthy foes, and Calgacus – literally, ‘the swordsman’

‘You’re our longest-serving contributor,’ said Carleton, flinching at the bang. ‘Our most admired. Indeed I should say our most popular.’ I’m beginning to speak like him, he thought: Thomas Hart is catching, that’s the trouble. ‘I’ve often heard it said that it’s a consolation – that’s the general feeling, as I said to the board – to wake on Thursd

Burns was

“MacRae is as angry as a baited bear,” Luke Marsden warned as he entered the office. “If you’ve never been around a Scotsman in a temper, you’d better brace yourself for the language.”

In company he claimed they got on like a house on fire, but it was clear which of them provided the petrol.