Deleted Notes & Queries response: What happens to the soil under heavily concreted environments?
(The Guardian jannies have struck down my Notes & Queries response for being in breach of community standards. I think the most-likely reason is the passing mention of Russia, which is enough to spread disquieting, PTSD-inducing ripples across the surface of an almond milk latte in the rarefied air of redeveloped King Cross. Anyway here it is if you want to read it) ~ I don't think I am divulging any state secrets when I say that Richard Pilbrow's cold war career in the diplomatic service went hand in hand with a certain amount of intelligence gathering. He published a book about his experiences in 2019. I would assume that anything sensitive in nature was redacted by the blinders of the Whitehall publishing arm, who are the only buyers for this kind of memoir. A couple of months ago, at Richard's request, I paid a visit to his home in Barnes, to witness him signing some legal paperwork. His study was a small, dim-lit room, screened off from the world behind heavy lace
