Now we're allowed out to play we've been spending time catching up with offspring and their offspring in various parts of the country. Recently up in Essex with family we were introduced to a young lady, the girlfriend of one of our grandchildren.  She wore shorts over fishnet tights and had a ring through her... Continue Reading →

“To love someone long-term is to attend a thousand funerals of the people they used to be. The people they’re too exhausted to be any longer. The people they don’t recognize inside themselves anymore. The people they grew out of, the people they never ended up growing into. We so badly want the people we... Continue Reading →

In my efforts to simplify my life I'm getting rid of some hundreds of books. I can only do this reasonably successfully when Anita works alongside me, for reasons you can probably imagine. We'd filled a Gousto box, (long story for another day), and I was about to start filling a second box when I... Continue Reading →

"Poor naked wretches, whereso'er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you From seasons such as these? " (King Lear Act 3 Scene 4.) When these words were first spoken, The nation was being rocked by bubonic plague with London losing probably a... Continue Reading →

The thought of pressing pause came to me following a discussion last week with someone we were working with. Some glitches had arisen; we wanted to find a way through; it was decided to pause, take stock and re-group.. The verb to pause is lovely, full of meaning and gentleness. It’s not harsh and confrontational like... Continue Reading →

Here at the centre everything is stillBefore the stir and movement of our griefWhich bears its pain with rhythm, ritual,Beautiful useless gestures of relief.So they anoint the skin that cannot feelSoothing his ruined flesh with tender care,Kissing the wounds they know they cannot heal,With incense scenting only empty air.He blesses every love that weeps and... Continue Reading →

When I sit down to write about things I’ve said or done, the last thing I want to do is to present myself in a favourable light. Well maybe just a bit, after all I’m human. So first a peep at my shadow side; two peeps. We were sitting quietly, it must be 10 years... Continue Reading →

One of my favourite TV series features 2 antique specialists given a couple of hundred pounds on a Monday to see who can turn the biggest profit by Friday. We join them as they travel the country hunting bargains, and auctioning them off. Sometimes they do well, digging out bargains; other times they pick losers.... Continue Reading →