Everyone always writes a million reviews of the year, and most years I am straight out of the starting blocks writing a few paragraphs after a few glasses of champagne on New Year's Eve. Auld Lang Syne does that to everyone, that feeling of wistful reflection on our inability to appreciate the good times, and... Continue Reading →
New Year’s Eve 2024
I always write some crap on New Year's Eve most years, summarising what happened in the world, or my world. I mostly write about films we watched, but it felt like slim pickings this year. So I'll look at my Google location timeline to remind me of places we went instead. In May, we booked... Continue Reading →
Ice climbing is completely mad
My husband is turning 50. I must really love him, because I booked an ice climbing holiday for his birthday. I slept for what felt like two hours before we left, lying there thinking of all the things that can go wrong. We took a 6.40 am flight from Heathrow. Taking flights with children is... Continue Reading →
Train delays and violins
I write as I leave Euston at 20:40 on a Wednesday evening. This was not really my plan for the evening, having arrived at the station around 7.30. Sadly though, it is a very common feature of the lives of those of us lucky enough to live on not one, but two, main arteries connecting... Continue Reading →
Soulmates are only half the story
The show "Soulmates" explores the implications of a test to find one's perfect match. It portrays the complexities and contradictions of relationships, highlighting the impact of parenthood. The protagonist reflects on past relationships, ultimately finding solace and meaning in the circle of life with their current partner.
Macbeth “the show” that treads a fine line
Last week was quite the bonanza of activity. I have yet to write my thoughts on Monday's meeting with friends from college, but I certainly will. It connects to Macbeth. Everything connects to the themes in Macbeth, which this production was very keen to emphasise. They might as well have slapped an IDF badge on... Continue Reading →
The better Manon
On the 5th March, I went to see The Royal Ballet's Manon. I was meant to see don Quixote in the autumn, but a subsequently cancelled train strike meant we decided to rebook when it was offered. I really didn't want to see Manon at all, having first watched it in about 2007 and found... Continue Reading →
Really, no inner monologue?
As I sit on the train scrolling through the FT of a morning, I get a bit bored and decide to scroll through Twitter instead. This is usually a really bad idea, being full of complete misinformation and made up AI articles. But today I find an interesting article. it turns out that "50-70%" of... Continue Reading →
Scanner darkly, looking back
I am currently reading A Scanner Darkly, by Phillip K Dick. It must have been tricky living with that name. I first started reading it in the summer of 2022, when we were on an extended family holiday in I think Somerset. It seemed quite suitable, with its ellision between thoughts and reality, and the... Continue Reading →
Living in a Thatched House: Pros and Cons
I have a backlog of posts describing the best holiday spots for family climbing (brief recap: Fontainebleau, Frankenjura, Costa Blanca, Peaks, Corsica), but like many other things, these potential gems of insight are stymied by their author's lack of application and pesky work commitments. So instead, here is a brief sojourn through what it means... Continue Reading →
The resting writer 