Brigadier Geoffrey Clench (Ret.)

Brigadier Geoffrey Clench served in the British Army for thirty-two years, retiring in 1998 with considerable distinction and even more considerable opinions. He joined Eleutheria's opinion pages in 2001 at the invitation of the then-editor, whom he had known since school and describes as "one of the last proper men." His column, which appears fortnightly, concerns itself with Britain in the broadest possible sense — its history, its character, its institutions, and what he describes as "the accelerating capitulation to nonsense." The Brigadier has strong views on national service, planning permission, the BBC, roundabouts, and the correct way to address a letter. He has been described by younger colleagues as "a lot" and by older ones as "largely correct." He lives in Hampshire in a house with a flagpole. The flag is always correct.