I helped a friend get a ludicrously large plant pot into his garden today. When I say ludicrous, I mean this thing was easily a metre wide and the same tall. It weighed, we reckoned, probably about 250kg. Their garden isn’t easily accessible. It’s on one of the steepest roads in Sheffield, which is a hilly city. The steps to the garden are cut into … Continue reading Big problems
I spent some time lost in images of nuclear decommissioning today. We have so much work we have do in the present, to overcome the ruinous mistakes that have been made in the past. To ensure we don’t make them again. To work hard to dismantle what we’ve inherited, making life safer and fairer. It’s a struggle we must engage with. RIP George Floyd. . … Continue reading Toxic legacy
I’m buying a book for a close friend, as I think it would speak to who and where they are powerfully. I believe there’s a good chance they’ll be life-changing. I’m delivering a eulogy for my Nan on Wednesday, celebrating the contribution her kind words made to many lives. Words, passed from one soul to another and chosen with care. I think they’re among the … Continue reading Words as a gift
Looking out of the window at the moment, I can see it’s absolutely gorgeous. Around my house right now, there’s some peaceful snoring from the dog and the happy sounds of my beloved rifling through some of their sixties memorabilia. The world, for me, is a good place. In a different house right now, there will be someone afraid of being hit, of being humiliated, … Continue reading Contrasting worlds
In an article I read earlier today, I felt this paragraph stood out most: The problem is, we read advice that may be geared towards someone with completely different hang-ups. Where one of us needs a motivational kick in the butt, the other desperately needs to be told to take something off their plate. Where you might need to be reminded to let go of … Continue reading What you need
A delightful day for the tastebuds and my soul, today. A fresh loaf from my favourite bakehouse that’s now doing takeaway, and awesome coffee from a great café that is quietly re-opening its doors. Both tasted superb and both were deeply nourishing. It wasn’t just a joy for the senses, it was also a re-embracing of two very personal small businesses. Supermarkets have kept me … Continue reading A slice of the good life
This morning I had the distinct pleasure of catching up with a friend over video call. I’m really looking forward to seeing him again in person, among other friends, to roll dice and make merry in the universe he’s created. Between now and then we’ve decided to embark on a podcast project, which neither of us are really sure how to do. All the more … Continue reading Pay it forward
Well, depending on how you define ‘fret’, there’s never a good time. But if you mean ‘trying to reach a decision’ then at some point you usually need to mull things over. I’ve spent far too long today thinking about a decision which is heavily influenced by what’s going to happen over the course of the next week. Once I know what has happened, the … Continue reading When to fret about things
My beloved can’t watch enough true crime programmes. Especially cold cases where a new team solves something the original detectives couldn’t. I’m reading ‘The Art of Possibility’ and during the chapter on ‘Giving an A’, I cast a new eye over the relationship I had with my father. I like drawing connections, even and perhaps particularly obtuse ones. I find they encourage thinking. Both the … Continue reading Looking at things afresh
I’m going to write a book. A short book. Not a novel – more a collection of anecdotes. The first chapter will be called ‘the next footfall’ and it’s inspired by my running. Please hold any jokes about it not being very fast-paced… As with running on ill-defined trails, so it is with making progress in life. I have to choose where to place my … Continue reading The next footfall
Sometimes You Learn 