“What colour is snow?” The child had topaz coloured eyes and dimpled cheeks like punched dough. “Well,” I looked down at him, puzzled, wondering if the cold had turned his head. Building snowmen on the field with thirty nine and … Continue reading The Colour of Snow
If I’ve said anything random to you lately, I apologise. There’s only a certain number of times you can acceptably say, “Sorry?” or “Pardon?” without being written off as decrepit or deaf. Though I am, it seems, the latter, for … Continue reading Fearfully and wonderfully made
We are having a bad day, the cat and I. There are several reasons for this: the state of the world – Syrian children and the lunacy of politics (me); foxes in the garden (him); the blight on the runner … Continue reading Time-hingeing and the end of summer
The old man leans on the gate at the edge of the park. It is heavier than he remembers but then so are most things. Like his own stomach and the bag of weekly shopping. He sighs. If only he … Continue reading Waiting for Dad
Whenever I arrive home after being out, I can’t sit down ’til I’ve done certain things : – 1. Put my shoes in the shoe place. 2. Put my keys in the key place. 3. Put my bag in the bag place (removing phone and glasses). 4. Taken my rings off. I put my rings on whenever I leave the house. I’ve worn them for so long, I don’t feel quite dressed without them. It’s always the same in the morning (after I’m clothed, obviously) – perfume, handcream, rings. Ready to face the world. It’s made me think about routines, … Continue reading This Ordinary Life
It feels like it happened yesterday. Though in fact it’s fifty Christmases since we were in our little house by the sea. Funny how the intense impressions of youth are saved forever on your hard-drive, whereas why you came to … Continue reading One Moment One Christmas
I’ve had a revelation. About signage. It happened the other day at a church in the middle of Derbyshire. Despite the cold, and slicing rain, the approach was beautiful – a thumb of stone, a fist of graves and beneath … Continue reading The Blessing of Good Signage
Last week I met a friend in Oxford Street. We try to meet several times a year for therapeutic purposes – the talking and shopping kind. It was sunny. Oxford Street was full of the young, looking, well…young. I felt … Continue reading The Long Road Home
When it was all over, she resigned her job, packed a case and flew to Montpellier. It was strange really. While it was all unravelling – thirty years of careful working life – she knew, at the end of it, … Continue reading The Olive Tree
A best mate bought me a tea towel. It was red and white and tied with checked ribbon and tinsel. She’d made a card too, which was decorated with a square of material and gold stars. It may end up … Continue reading Christmas Hunters of the World, Unite…
