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Are you Average?
While doing the washing up this morning I became aware of the warm, damp, clammy sensation that tells me that another rubber glove has sprung a leak. It was the right-hand glove, of course; it’s always...
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Trendy Tots
Yesterday I saw a beautiful dress. It was a lilac-grey jumper dress with bands of lace. It’s very on-trend and would probably suit me. Normally if I really liked an item I would ask the wearer where...
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The Consolations of Growing Up
Last week I unwisely finished reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman shortly after watching the end of Peter Pan (2003) on TV. Both of them have bittersweet endings involving the hero or heroine...
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Foreign Encounters Released
The Writers Abroad anthology Foreign Encounters has been released. I have a short piece in it called “Sounion”, which is rather good and atmospheric if I say so myself. Foreign Encounters is available...
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Who Cares?
There are places in the world that matter, and places that don’t. There are people who matter, and people who don’t. That, at least, is the attitude of our media. I was reminded of this by Hurricane...
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Adverse Advertisements
There are some deeply irritating adverts on (British) TV at the moment. The wee tip-off that alerted me to the fact is that I find myself shouting at the TV. Admittedly I’ve been under a bit of stress...
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Amazing Adverts
As a balance to the last post about annoying adverts, here is a list of the top five adverts of all time.* 5) Google Superbowl Advert (2010) I had to be persuaded to put this one on the list, since...
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Snowflakes, Real and Homemade
The first snow in Glasgow fell last night, so it seems the right time to write about something a bit Christmassy – crocheted snowflakes! crocheted snowflakes The ones you see here are my own creation,...
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Shadow’s Dawn by H K Miller
I must plug this book that my cousin has just released on Amazon, not just because he is my cousin but because it is good. I can’t tell you about the plot arc properly because I haven’t read it right...
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Nature and Nurture
Have I created a monster? (Although if I have she would be the cutest, most adorable kind of monster you could imagine.) My 21-month-old niece is the girliest girl possible, and I fear I may have a lot...
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Goodbye 2012
“So this is Christmas, and what have we done? Another year over, and a new one just begun.” (from Happy Christmas (War is Over), in case you hadn’t guessed.) I’m in a reflective mood, what with it...
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Primed for a Laugh
This month’s Prima features my story “A Recipe for Disaster”. It’s a very short, funny little piece about a couple working in their short-staffed restaurant after a very busy evening when famous food...
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Give Keynes a Chance!
Wicked as those extortionate loan companies are, they are right when they say in their adverts that it’s always when you’ve got no money that something breaks. My electric shower has just gone caput,...
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One Year On
Roughly a year ago I gave up my boring office job and released my first novel, Leda. I intended to take stock after one year and see how the old writing career is going. So how does it look? I would...
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Counting My Blessings
Christian Aid’s “Count Your Blessings” programme I don’t remember Lent ever starting before Valentine’s Day before, although I suppose it must have happened. It’s not a very good arrangement, since I...
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Letter to Policy Exchange
The Policy Exchange, a think tank looking at the Government’s unpaid labour programme, has called for evidence about the current system of getting people into work. My friend Kerry decided to take them...
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Toilets I Have Known (on a scale of one to ten)
The Trainspotting toilet – about a three. I have a rather idiosyncratic approach to toilets – so much so that a friend suggested I share it on my blog. I’m not referring to the way I use toilets, which...
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Singer Song of a Fiver
I feel another rant coming on soon (dogs, in case you’re wondering), so to avoid having two rants in a row and making you think I’m some sort of Mrs Angry, I’d like to stick in a wee paean of praise to...
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Reading Corrupts, Watching TV Corrupts Absolutely
The Royal Foundlings - a very uncorrupting influence In November 1960 Penguin were found not guilty under the Obscene Publications Act over the publication of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The book was...
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A Plague of Dogs
When I rule the world, private dog ownership will be banned. This is not some kind of communist measure applying to all private property, it’s just dogs. (And cars, but that’s a different story.)...
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