Hooray for Heritage Weeks! Yesterday, I had the privilege of a tour of the Buckinghamshire Archives at Aylesbury. There is something mystical about being in temperature-controlled storage lockers full of old documents which are expertly preserved and protected from pests and mould by the diligent archivists. What a great job they have! Our guide archivist … Read more
I’m very much an Eeyore person. I get depressed by the state of the world, and frustrated by every big and little thing that make my life difficult. So, it is a pleasure to report a better than average day! Being a Sunday, I awarded myself a lie-in, as much as my early-stirring body clock … Read more
This was a title set for a writers’ group exercise. It may inspire many stories or aspects of stories over time, but my immediate response to it was quite literal – what is the cost of writing? : The Cost Maybe it’s the business academic in me. I can’t see this title without seeing numbers … Read more
I went to Lord’s, the “home of cricket”, on Saturday. I picked the wrong Saturday. It was the start of the school holidays. Just as I remember from the start of the school holidays in my youth, it was heaving down with rain. The rain was forecast to pass through, and fortunately, it did. I … Read more
I used to feel energized by that command from the front of the sports hall! I still do weights classes, but after hearing loss, I have to imagine it. I am aware of the voice and just follow the demonstration. I’m always a beat behind everyone else, but at least I am still trying to … Read more
I’m fired up to write about lace! I was going to write a History Elf item today about an unknown commoner who became de facto leader of Flanders centuries before the phenomenon of Oliver Cromwell in England, but Artevelde has been pipped today by lace. Marlow Museum put on a concert last night with some … Read more
The minor irritations of life are a wet blanket for creativity. It was a relief yesterday to be staying with friends, with time to explore the lunacies of 21st century living. To take but one, the irony of communications companies being among the poorest of communicators should provide endless material for comedians. “Please hold, your … Read more
I woke up this morning feeling empty. I had been dreaming about gorging myself on a cream tea while a strident female voice reminded me that this was not the way to lose weight. I have been trying to trim a bit before a hospital appointment, where they will undoubtedly comment on my body mass … Read more
