EatBigSea is right - not out of place at all. Bear in mind this story is taking place between the Risings of 1715 and 1745, when the British crown was in serious contention, and the majority of the support for the alternative to those currently in possession came from the Scottish who (mostly) supported the Stuarts. …

Funny - when a woman wants to schedule a C-Section for her own convenience (or any other reason), she's denounced in the press for being "too posh to push" or "too career-focused" or just plain "selfish", but apparently it's alright for a male to demand that his wife schedule surgery, with it's associated risk factors…

Not sure what a Booster sale is, sorry! I'm not sure that schoolboy sports brings in much cash in NZ, except perhaps sponsorship from local businesses, but the country is sports-obsessed to the point that the National newspaper (there is only one) has often run the headline 'Nation mourns' after the national Rugby…

Hate to tell you this, but if you're a decent rugby player (or several other sports, but to a lesser extent) in New Zealand, you get every free pass going. Sports-mad doesn't even begin to cover the national obsession. School sport is huge, and causes cases of paralysis or death every year, especially on the rugby…