The Silence is Deafening

On 11th September 2001 I gave my one year old daughter her lunch and idly watched Neighbours. The short BBC News music came on with breaking news (for years afterwards that theme gave me chills) and showed footage of the World Trade Centre in New York. Over the course of 90 minutes I watched in …

Over the Rainbow

Magic exists in fairy tales and sleight of hand, but it also exists in real life, in the form of rainbows. Which of us doesn’t look up at the sight of a rainbow and wonder at its beauty or its very existence? I’ve loved rainbows for as long as I can remember and the childish …

Let’s Talk About the Weather

Thinking about my ideal weather conditions, I picture blue sky, maybe dotted with the odd cloud, sun shining down warmly, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves on nearby trees and a temperature of 25°C. Living in the South East of Britain I wonder how common those weather conditions of neither hot nor cold, actually are. …

Bzzz…

Two flies were buzzing around the kitchen while I was switching everything off for the night, Bluebottles, which I could hear irritatingly rather than see in the twilight. Usually they come in, through the tiniest opening, then spend all their efforts flying from one end of the room to the other in vain efforts to …

To Mask Or Not To Mask?

March saw the second anniversary of the first lockdown, with the few remaining UK restrictions being lifted on 1st April. Now there is no requirement to mask or vaccinate and anyone testing positive for Covid-19 is only asked to ‘try’ to avoid going out. It feels a little strange thinking of going out without a …

Up and Down Aldershot

The bar opening the door is cool to the touch, it clicks down and we push the weight outward, stepping into the fresh breeze. Tap down the stone steps and feel the warmth of the sun. Immediately across is a park of green grass and flowers, the empty bandstand echoing with memories of music and …

Times Like These

As March ends, the weather has turned warm with sunny intervals, as the weather forecasters might describe it. The war in Ukraine dominates the news and it's not difficult to forget there was ever a thing called Covid-19. But we all seem to know people who have tested positive around us, showing while it's grip …

They’re Coming For Tchaikovsky

On University Challenge this week, a music question came up where they had to guess the Russian composer; the first answer was Tchaikovsky and I couldn't help thinking, oh they're not allowed to talk about him, he's Russian. But then I thought, that's going too far, what has music got to do with anything? It's …

Goodbye Old and a Happy New Year!

The final day of 2021 was damp and not cold at all. Just after dark fireworks began bursting - a family party, perhaps, where the children may not be awake at midnight. At 8:00pm the fireworks really got going; a series of bangs, whistles and one terrifyingly neverending succession of wails; what even was that? …

Dawn

I lie in the pre dawn dark, hovering between sleep and wakefulness; the night is still and absolutely silent until my brain begins to focus on reality. The sheet rustles as I stretch slightly, warm and comfortable before the day to come. I breathe deeply, taking in oxygen to wake my brain up. A shadowed …