“Mummy, where were you when you heard about that nice Princess Diana getting killed?” “Off my face in an Edinburgh hotel room, sweetie-pie. And believe you-me, I thought it must have been pretty strong stuff that we’d been having … when *that* particular news item flashed across the TV screen.” Actually, no. I didn’t answer […]
Let’s Hair It For The Boys
In 1989, a very strident (and quite frankly, as mad as a mongoose) marxist lass at my college, told me that ‘you can’t be a feminist if you wear make-up, shave your arm-pits and dye your hair’. Of course, me being me, I felt compelled to waltz into the building each day, gurning my frosted […]
Just Listen To Yourself!
Things that I vowed that I would never to say to my own kids, that my own dear parents said to me and my brother, back in the 70’s and 80’s. Utterances that …. guess what? I have actually said MYSELF during the past fortnight. I know this, because after the first two ‘dawned on […]
We’re in a New Country now
On the morning of the General Election results of 2017, one of my favourite comedians, Mark Steel, declared; “We’re in a new country now.” I couldn’t help but agree with him. Political awareness and interest has (finally) been pricked here and I take my hat off to the young people of the UK who quickly […]
A Royal Irrelevance?
“I’ll get you a drink, Mum” said my 9 year old lad. This being the rare occasion of an offer, I allowed the boy to make me a brew of my favourite Lancashire meets Yorkshire concoction (Manchester’s Vimto with a splash of lemonade from Huddersfield Aldi.) “And I’m going to choose you a nice mug,” […]
Go To London?
I’ve been in London for the last few days. I was at the House of Lords the evening before the ‘terrorist incident.’ On entering the Lords though, I have to say that I was thinking, ‘Good God, security seems so lax – in comparison to it was a few years ago. If I was a […]