After last week’s ‘sticky but got gradually better’ experience at Bissell Wood cross country course, schooling young Vinnie, I felt things weren’t quite ‘right’ with
Category: Stuff
This month’s book group
I never fail to be amazed by the capacity of our species to induce surprise. Two things astounded me so much at this week’s brookgroup
Counting the cost of miles
Despite any impression to the contrary you may have gained, I am a leaden-footed, hyperactive, high-octane fuelled, petrol-headed speedfreak. I do, I’ll admit, think that those
Baby I got your number
Sit down. It’s a rant. I won’t be long. And yes, I know I’ve done this one before. This rant is subtitled: People shouldn’t fcuk
A funny thing happened on my way through the desert
prompted by cha0tic, here’s the first item off my Post-It. I was low-altitude cruising over the Nevada desert the other evening. Was looking for Steve Fossett
The voices are talking to me
Or… Tunes help you breathe more easily Don’t you hate it -no, I mean really really hate it -when a tune gets lodged in your
Thinking about education
This was prompted when I was put under the spotlight by Young Laura yesterday evening (and yes, Young Laura, I know this isn’t your name
A Sleepy Conversation…
the final lunchtime post of the day: a transcript of a conversation between a sleepy but very Lovely S as she drives an equally sleepy
Book review: All Fun and Games until Someone Loses an Eye – Christopher Brookmyre
Once again Christopher Brookmyre has produced an irritatingly good book. His characters are beautifully, yet succinctly, drawn. His scene-setting is pointedly brief. His dialogue is
Where there’s a Will? X-Factor syndrome?
There has recently been a lot of speculation around the old chestnut of whether or not William Shakespeare wrote ‘his’ work. Certainly one has to
Sunday went like this…
a quick lunchtime post; sorry about the sandwich crumbs – lunch at my desk… Sunday went like this… after the earlier than planned start: ‘Dressage
More lit. stuff
There’s a Readers Group meeting tomorrow evening. And… Hold on to your hats… I’m chairing it. The Lovely S, who normally runs the meeting with the
He who laughs last, laughs… erm… last
Ha! Ha, ha, ha, ha! You all thought I was bonkers when I posted this public service announcement about the British National Space Centre’s new
Unwelcome, unlate
06.25 Sunday. I awake without an alarm. I notice two things. The very cold mug of hot chocolate that I fell asleep before drinking. My
From one country to another
an account of Saturday’s return leg – having delivered The Lovely S to Aberystwyth University I’ve dropped her off The Lovely S. I won’t see
Other writing news…
I have restarted Helicopter. And 20/20 Vision. In equal measures I can blame/thank Mr Brookmyre for this new motivation. Let’s see if – this time –
Guilty pleasures; guilty secrets
I enter the house. Alone. I stand inside the front door listening to the quiet. It somehow seems illicit to be here. I breathe softly as
Writing news at the speed of light
An email flutters in. It tells me that ‘Horse of a Different Colour‘ has won another award: ‘el mejor cuento extranjero‘ (best foreign short story)
New Rules of the Road
Owing to the number of motorway accidents the National Committee of Common Sense (that’s me) has investigated the rules, found them insufficient and has updated
Accommodating decisions
Decisions, choices. There are too many of them in this hyped-up, consumer-led world. For example; supermarkets. I don’t mean that there are too many brands
From the Strange but True department
This just in… William Shakespeare is dead. It’s official. William Shakespeare died on the evening of Monday 3rd September 2007. Died near Dalton-in-Furness, south Cumbria.
Rich beyond our wildest dreams
but only in Stupid TV Advertland I’ve watched more television in the last couple of weeks than I would normally do in a couple of
The sins of the children
Five boys aged between 12 and 14 have been found guilty of killing a 67-year-old father of two as he played cricket with his son.
Address update
This came around by email so I thought I’d offer a public service and pass the message on. Feel free to pass it on too if
An apology
It’s come to my attention that when I made this statement yesterday about not eating any longer in the staff restaurant my words could, in a certain
The food of love
I’ve got a big, serious-looking blog in progress but I just had to dump this one quickly I can’t carry on. Sniff. I’m sad that
A serious bit
The Lovely S is not a happy bunny. She is a combination of angry and frustrated. She gets angry and because she gets angry she
Look, I’ve told you before! Stop doing that!
Here’s a strange one. I’ve just heard on tonight’s C4 news that last month the Chinese government issued a law in Tibet telling all Lamas
Do you want fries with that?
How often have you been stuck in a bumper-to-bumper, not-going-anywhere-at-all jam on the motorway? Too often? While you’ve been stuck there have you wondered how
Sunday’s combined training at Allenshill
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it
I went out with a member of the Sealed Knot once
The reason for exposing this hitherto undeclared piece of information is entirely due to having just watched the funny/infuriating period/modern day film ‘Tristram Shandy: A
Half man, half couch…
Today: * Drove The Lovely S to work, then to the yard * Groomed Beech then turned him out in a very small paddock * Got
Is it only me?
Am I the only person in theEnglish-speaking world who can’t help giggling when the words “Nintendo Wii” are uttered within hearing range? Stupid name. 🙂
Beech (and) leg (and) vet (and) broken (and) not!
Jess rang this evening. I missed the call (don’t touch the phone while I’m driving), but the voicemail she left said that she’s chuffed with
I’m going to bed in a minute
Yes, I know it’s 04.00; I’ve been up for an hour, lurching around the internet in a zombie-like state. I guess I’ve been sleeping awkwardly;
The grass is greener? Or lemmings? Or rats leaving?
These are interesting questions. I don’t have the answers – and frankly I don’t think that anyone does. According to figures released today by University
Book review: Out of the Tunnel by Rachel North
The strapline on this books reads: ‘Before and after 7/7: one woman’s extraordinary story’ I have been reading Rachel’s blog for years, and in this
The saddest thing about Big Brother 8…
There are lots of good, bad, high and low events in the 2007 bunch of cnuts Big Brother inmates. But the saddest thing by far has been
Let’s have another go…
Fresh from our gloriously non-competitive outing at The Deer Park on Sunday it’s time for another go… This Sunday there’s another combined training competition at Allenshill –
I am NOT a pussy, ok?
We didn’t do the two-phase competition today. We did go. ‘We’ being The Lovely S, Vinnie (the horse formerly known as ‘muckbucket’) and me. We just
Saturday (getting wet)
In the torrential rain I drove down to The Deer Park cross country in Gloucestershire to walk the show-jumping and cross country track in preparation for
Just about to go to bed when…
Soph says “Is it too late to watch a film?” “Nah, not really. What film do you want to watch?” “Night of the Comet?” “Cool!”
Get up you lazy sod!
You! Yes you in the green bathrobe; sitting there on the couch. Expression like a half-intelligent zombie while you’re bashing away at that laptop. Haven’t
The welfare of the child is paramount
This is a quote from a piece of legislation that is the centrepiece of English and Welsh childcare legislation: The Children Act (1989) as updated
Header (again)
Got bored with the previous. Umm… I’m actually in this photo! Oh yes, ’tis true. B.
Zero carbon? Zero bull?
This is a tough one, the subject is open to as many opinions as there are bands appearing at this weekend’s V Festival (where the
Knew this would happen
Don’t often twitter about the 9-5 side of things but… Last week I accepted a very interesting opportunity in Wiltshire that I’m due to start
The sins of the parents, visited on the public…
So we learn today that six teenaged Warrington children (one of fifteen, two of sixteen, two of seventeen and one of eighteen) have been charged