Veni, vidi, sed non vici

I forgot to say that, after we'd done our main shopping in Exeter, we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Oxfam bookshop.

I picked up a good copy of John Peel's autobiography and - Dr Stu would like this - a Latin crossword book. Now, as I struggle with crosswords in English, this could be a major challenge.

We might paint the bedroom after all

We couldn't find any paper to agree on.

But I brought several samples home with me including this one.

I wouldn't want it on my bedroom wall but I wanted to work out what it said.

Scattered over various bits of the design I found words spoken by Cicero when he was giving an oration against the corrupt Roman senator Cataline: “Quousque, tandem, abutere, Catalina, patientia nostra?” Cicero is wondering how much longer Cataline will abuse our (the senate/people's) patience.

Now the question is: did the designer of the wallpaper know what it meant?

Did he/she choose it because artistically it has shape and definition? Or is it a subversive comment on the political situation in Britain today?

I like to think it's the latter.