Remember when sleeping was just a matter of lying down and shutting your eyes? I was brilliant at it – talented. My only concern was that I wasn’t particularly good at doing it on public transport or for all that long after the sun came up. But I could do it pretty much anywhere else […]
Things only sparkle when you keep moving
I love a bit of cold – proper biting, crispy cold. And it was like that for a few days. Real winter, chilly enough to let you know when spring arrives. Like it used to be. These days – cut-price, commercial, modern days – nothing much changes. Year-round it’s damp breezes and grime. And padding along […]
The parenting milestones no one tells you about
It’s possible that before you conceive your first child, milestones are just those old things beside the road or on the set of a panto. Somewhere that Mr Whittington does his turning. You know? But that doesn’t last long. Soon everything is measured out and ticked off – compared to the average, or to her […]
Why middle-aged women like cardigans
Another tale from the estrogen wars For many years, the cardigan was the epitome of mediocrity. A nothing kind of a garment – neither coat nor jumper. Worn by ditherers, fence sitters and the sartorially distressed. It’s knitted camouflage, hiding any kind of sex appeal, decisiveness and, inevitably, style. Loathsome in women and utterly […]
Things you don’t need for a happy Christmas
Undeniably, inexorably Christmas is coming. I can almost smell the turkey and mince pies. Jingle jingle. This year I have decided I’m going to be jolly from the outset. I’ll be so flipping festive you’ll couldn’t pick me out of a lineup of Santa’s elves. But first I’ve got to get one or two tiny, […]