My lovely friend V celebrated her 40th birthday last week, and threw a massive party with a Hollywood theme – the perfect excuse to get glammed up. She also asked me if I would sing, and so for several weeks beforehand I spent a lot of my daydreaming time compiling imaginary setlists of songs I … Continue reading »
Life… Easter Sunday for me means getting up early, going to church and singing my heart out. And then, as is also customary in this country at Easter time, I ate so much roast lamb I thought I might give birth to a sheep. And then I ate sticky toffee pudding and epic numbers of … Continue reading »
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 »
I’m a gobbo. It’s no secret – everyone who knows me, knows this is true. I can talk and talk – I blame the Irish ancestors for this bit. And growing up with two sisters. Women talk, women in groups talk and talk, groups of women with Irish ancestry don’t stop talking. And I have a … Continue reading »
When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendours fling, And the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing. It came upon a midnight clear One of the best things about Christmas is that you’re allowed to sing full pelt wherever you like, as long as you’re singing a carol. … Continue reading »
In case it had escaped your attention, Christmas is coming. Everyone has their own variation on the rituals and traditions surrounding Christmas. My family eats beef on Christmas Day, for example, much to people’s consternation – ‘What? No turkey?’ – because when we were kids we basically lived off turkey all year round. Beef’s the … Continue reading »
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 »
A couple of months after I moved to London, I discovered my good friend and old singing partner CC had moved down too and started working for a global communications and media relations agency. As far as I could tell, the advantage of working for a global organisation’s London office was that in order to … Continue reading »
CC and I headed over to Union Chapel to see Foy Vance. Quite frankly, I can’t get enough of Foy Vance. I’ve seen him more times than I can count, and it was strange to think that now he can fill Union Chapel, when maybe three years ago I was seeing him perform to twenty … Continue reading »
I’m living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky, I’m drinking from the fountain that never shall run dry, O yes! I’m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply For I am dwelling in Beulah land! In the youth hostel in Ponte de Lima there were rumours of other pilgrims – a rucksack in … Continue reading »
