Time to get the deckchairs out

New Year inevitably makes me think about some of the people I miss. This year my grandmother Ivy has been on my mind. Born in 1905 in Newark (Nottinghamshire), Ivy lived through World War I with her beloved older brother Harold away in Germany on active service, World War II in Coventry where she remained

All work and no play

When the country was first locked down, I wondered what the big deal was. I’m a writer. I choose to spend every day shunning society, sitting alone in my house. Even when my regular work dried up, surely this was the opportunity every scribe dreams of, right? Now I’d have time to write my long-delayed

Helen’s fiery cravings

It’s been so long since I’ve had a cigarette, I thought I’d never again stand around outside trying to light something in the cold, wind and rain. I was wrong. I’ve recently built a fire pit, for obvious Lockdown reasons. It’s great, just a square of bricks with a big terracotta tile at the base.