Back to the bearded

I’ve had a few beard-related links sent to me that past couple of weeks, so in the interests of reintroducing some levity to this all of a sudden, oh so serious blog, here they are… The slightly dubious ‘Better with a beard’, a collection of pictures leading you to compare and contrast famous men in … Continue reading »

Ode to Joy

It’s stupidly mild outside, and though the days are getting shorter, they are full of sunshine. The leaves are glorious in colour, and it’s perfect weather to be outside. Which is unfortunate because as ever most of my daylight hours are spent at my basement desk. Still, I’m feeling unfathomably cheerful this week, spritely and … Continue reading »

Oblivious to beauty

For Christmas last year, and before she left for Moldova, B gave me a book called 102 Free Things To Do: Inspiring Ideas for a Better Life. One of the suggestions is to keep a daily diary, where you only write one sentence to sum up the day. I thought this was a great idea, … Continue reading »

Thankful

I am thankful that I’m incapable Of doing any good on my own Thankful, Caedmons’ Call David Cameron has announced his intention to invest £2million in conducting a survey of our happiness. How this will be measured I haven’t got the faintest idea – but since it’s American Thanksgiving, I’d like to suggest they maybe … Continue reading »

More pressing concerns

In the little town where I’m from, people don’t often leave. But when they do, and they come back to visit, I remember these people having a wonderful air of mystery about them. And the women, they were always unmarried, but super-glamorous. ‘How are they not married?’, we’d marvel. And the older and wiser women … Continue reading »

Choose your own adventure

‘Choose Your Own Adventure is a series of children’s gamebook created by Edward Packard and first published by Bantam Books from 1979-1998. Each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character’s actions in response to the plot and its outcome.’ Wikipedia … Continue reading »

Telling tales

A lot of the action in Tamara Drewe centres around a writer’s retreat, I imagine somewhere in Dorset, where frustrated authors, as yet unpublished, are allowed to struggle away with their individual artistic angst, under the watchful eye of Beth, who bakes, and her famous novelist husband, Nicholas. It’s a very wry look at middle … Continue reading »

Sole man

I took a pair of boots in to the man round the corner to be reheeled yesterday morning. ‘Ooo,’ I said ‘It smells nice in here!’ ‘It’s the glue,’ he replied. I giggled. ‘Look, I’m giggling already,’ I said. Like a very silly girl. Leaning round to turn the music on the stereo down he … Continue reading »

Shhhh… it’s a library

Meanwhile, back in my less ranty world, I’ve been out and about. Continuing my quest for good coffee, I paid a visit to Bea’s of Bloomsbury, and couldn’t resist having a scrummy red velvet cupcake with vanilla icing while I was there. After all, perhaps cake would keep the raging feminist inside placated for a … Continue reading »

Pockets of joy

Earlier this week I wrote about Monday being pseudo-scientifically the unhappiest day of the year. But this week has actually been filled with little pockets of gladness. I’ve been taking the Tube in to work (after a disaster with a lost Oyster, and therefore travelcard, last week) for the first time in ages. I’d forgotten … Continue reading »