On Hallowe’en

No, I’m sorry. You can’t force me to like Hallowe’en. Not even with your garish costumes and your festively shaped-and-wrapped chocolates. Have you any idea how long it takes to carve a damn pumpkin? I do, because I’ve done it. Not your V&A...

On Memory

My mother has had increasing problems with her short term memory for a while now. It’s the classic thing: she can remember stories and songs from her childhood that have etched themselves on her brain as on a vinyl record, but she can’t remember that the...

A weekend on the unspoilt Suffolk Coast

Taking advantage of both offspring being away on school trips, we stole a weekend away in Suffolk. The weather was quite poor but, as is said, There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothes. Dog people are fully aware of this. People who walk...

My Knitting: #15 Red Hat for Darling Daughter

I made this woolly hat using last year’s St. Mungo’s Woolly Hat Day downloadable pattern for Darling Daughter, who loves red but who was adamant that she didn’t want me to make it with a woolly ball. I think that’s a pity. I do like a woolly...