Eurovision and Mozart
The week has passed, bookended by musical delights of contrasting tone and texture. Eurovision came and went. Every edition seems …
Grief and Swifts
The week has passed, garnering mixed reviews. On Friday I went to Salisbury, to meet old friends, reminisce about past …
Trouble at t’feeder
The bird feeders in our garden have turned into a battleground. Our efforts to quell the onslaught of ring-necked parakeets …
The Big Yin
Thank you for attending the Billy Connolly event at Hammersmith Apollo. Please take a few minutes to complete the following …
Dabbling
There are those who are born to dabble, and those who are not. Firmly in the latter category sat my …
Clive James – still not dead
About fifteen months ago The New Yorker published a poem by Clive James called ‘Japanese Maple’. It was, and is, …
Squirrel.
The squirrel was nothing if not determined. Fearless, too. Its task: get to the bird feeder. The principal impediment: an …
I like to ride my bicycle. Sort of.
6/6/15 10.15 pm I cycle from my home in West Norwood to Crystal Palace Park. About ten minutes, most of …
Ten Books
Everybody’s doing it. Ten Books That Have Stayed With You Since Childhood. Ten Books That You Feel You Should Have …
Metacricket
The silent thwack of imaginary leather on non-existent willow; the ripple of notional one-handed applause; the hypothetical murmur of appreciation …