‘Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day; Every leaf speaks bliss to me              Fluttering from the autumn tree.’                         – Emily Brontë Autumn has rapidly turned to winter here in the Cape.  That means it … More The Last Leaves

    ‘The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?”’ – Marie Kondo     I’m a bit late to this particular party, but read pretty much all of Ms Kondo’s fascinating book during a pleasant, … More ‘Sparking Joy’

‘Time travel is such a magic concept’ – Matt Smith (11th Dr Who) My parents were not ones to splash their money around.  As the third of three daughters I lived in hand-me-downs for most of my years at home.  Combine their frugality with their admirable practicality and you have the parental rationale for kitting us … More ‘Chip Club’ & Time Travel

‘You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be’ – Wayne W Dyer (US author) Apparently people are leaving social media ‘in ‘in droves’.  It’s understandable.  The relentless back-and-forth, or rather, round-and-round, of so many featured topics are enough to drive the sanest person to a dribbling, quivering wreck.  Follow a thread … More My Friend, the Delete Button

‘To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.’ – Lady Bracknell, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ The rhythm of life is peculiar; the dance is not as predictable as I would prefer.  I am not a lover of surprises, which makes my life consistently challenging; … More Inadvertent Carelessness

‘One of the gladdest moments of life is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands.  Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy.’ – Richard Francis Burton (British explorer, geographer & … More The Big Trip

‘A man becomes the creature of his uniform’ – Napoleon Bonaparte Don’t hold your breath, but I think I may have ‘made it’ into the ranks of true Capetonians.  It didn’t involve a ceremony, an exam or even a review of my strange, sliding accent; just the simple acquisition of a coat.  Perhaps it’s more … More Uniform versus uniformity

‘hope does not disappoint’ – St Paul; Romans 5 v 5 Whatever else you may say about the English football team over the past few weeks, they’ve certainly been a ray of sunshine in a gloomy landscape blighted by Brexit, Boris and baloney.  Every now and again, even the most pessimistic could be overheard humming that … More Hope – abandoned or reclaimed?

‘Unchecked, this loud and occasionally violent ideology propagates a particular view of history, reality and human nature that skews intellectual enquiry, erodes diversity and stifles debate.’ – Dr David Landrum I am just back from Cape Town where we are still on Level 6B water restrictions.  That means using less than 50 litres of water … More The New Normal

‘Your image isn’t your character. Character is what you are as a person’ – Derek Jeter – former US pro baseball player I’ve been past various building sites in recent months, two of which sported this rather curious notice in large letters and nailed to the surrounding hoardings: ‘Improving the image of construction’.  I thought … More ‘Improving the Image of Construction’