Love is in the air

We're flying to Rome on the day of The Wedding. I'm kind of sorry now to miss the spectacle of the crowds and the celebrations, even though I have very little interest in the actual proceedings. The Union Jack bunting everywhere is brilliantly festive: in Regent Street there are row upon row of giant flags …

Living in interesting times

I had a friend at Uni who was really into the prophecies of Nostradamus. I always found it amusing that there's no mention of Australia. So insignificant in the grand scheme of things the poor old boy never saw a glimpse of the sunburnt country. But then I heard the curse 'may you live in …

Paternity leave: it’s not about father time

Forests, libraries, the DLA, the NHS: there’s so many crucial things under threat right now that it’s hard to keep up with it all. I feel like my head will explode and I genuinely fear for the future of this country if all the cuts go ahead as proposed. Britain is already one of the …

Last new story for 2010

Well, dear readers, Circling the wagons will be the last new story I post this year. Last year on New Year's Eve I wrote a list of my hopes and wishes for 2010 and one of the items on that list was 'get in touch with my creative side. Write.'  I'm incredibly proud to find …