Here I am at the seaside, again. Torquay this time. Home to Fawlty Towers, and the inimitable Manuel (Qué?). Maybe we’ve hit on a particularly good weekend but I get the feeling it is often like this in Torquay: hot and sunny with endless blue skies. Eternally tanned pensioners watch knots of youngsters crabbing at … Continue reading The Running Tide
This time last week I didn't even know where Clevedon was, never mind think that in a matter of days I would be wandering along its promenade enjoying the late summer sun. But life takes unexpected turns and catapults you to unforeseen places, which for me, yesterday, was the southern shore of the Severn Estuary … Continue reading Summer’s Parting Sighs
Welcome to the dawn of the summer holidays. C., a teacher, described to me her take on the summer holidays. The end of June, she says, is the equivalent of a Friday evening – it gives you that generous and spacious feeling of a weekend; time stretching ahead, filled with rest, adventure and possibility. Right … Continue reading Dry Your Eyes, Sunday Girl
According to an Ipsos-MORI poll, a large majority of people (79%) think that there is more swearing on television now than ten years ago. And here’s another poll-generated statistic: only 55% of people trust civil servants to tell the truth. I generally skim over such statistics, for, when I read claims about the pulse of … Continue reading Avert Your Eyes
He had a coffee; I had Earl Grey. His was frothy and a bit cold, he told me; mine was too hot, so I blew on it, not that it made a whit of difference. “From England? You’re walking the whole way from the North of England to Santiago?” “Yes. The one in Spain, … Continue reading There’s a Hole in my Bucket
The way through the forest to get to the cottage on Crosby Lake is definitely not a road, but it’s not quite a dirt track either. Whatever you might call it, it has ‘gateway to wilderness’ written all over it in the form of chipmunks scurrying across the path, the hindquarters of deer disappearing into … Continue reading Gratitude
John Taylor Gatto devoted 30 years of his life to teaching. When he resigned, he ploughed his energy into writing books about modern education; books that weren’t always complimentary about the ideology, history, and consequences of western teaching practices. I’m not going to get into all that, but today, as many children break up for … Continue reading School’s Out For Summer
Are you a romantic, a realist or a bit of a sceptic? When it comes to affairs of the heart, do you jump in feet first, run a mile at the first sign of doe-eyes, or weigh up the costs and benefits like a hedge fund manager? For example, if you were to cross the … Continue reading Forever
I’ve been away for one day and I’ve found my walking route: a breezy seafront path with the choppy Atlantic Ocean on one side and a hedge of bougainvillea providing privacy for the ocean front hotels and villas on the other. Its papery flowers are in bloom: confetti showers in pink, purple and orange sections. … Continue reading Bloom Where You’re Planted
I’m off to lie in the sun (I hope) for a week. Flying this afternoon. And I’m humming The Beatles into myself. ‘Send me a postcard, Drop me a line, Stating point of view, Indicate precisely what you mean to say, Yours sincerely, Wasting away.” Remember? From the song, ‘When I’m 64’. Sending postcards has … Continue reading Drop Me A Postcard
