May 30, 2021
Alone together on a Friday night, I wonder what I can put on the TV that will keep my daughter engaged with me and away from her phone. In a stroke of genius, I go for “Friends: The Reunion” combining my past with her present. We used to watch Friends before we had children, before […]
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May 23, 2021
I am making my way around the makeshift quiz they’ve erected on medical screens at the GP surgery. Prevented from leaving for fifteen minutes after the vaccine, in case of an allergic reaction, someone decided it would be a good idea to ask a bunch of questions about the Romans and neolithic fossils. Waiting to […]
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May 16, 2021
A couple of years ago I was telling my son about an idea I’d had. “I think I’m going to start an Airbnb for gardens.” “What do you mean?”, he said. “People who don’t have gardens could rent space from people who do but can’t be bothered to garden them.” He pushes out his bottom […]
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May 9, 2021
It’s mental health awareness week and another opportunity for me to grumble to anyone who will listen about why on earth we think there is still a problem with “awareness” and why we can’t just do something about it instead. Anyway, the theme this year is nature which is precipitating a deluge of articles about […]
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May 2, 2021
Staring at the stud wall I’m trying to conceal my anxiety. My daughter asked me to put up a shelf for her some weeks ago but I’m nervous about using the right fixings and making sure it doesn’t fall off again. “I just need to charge the drill,” I say, playing for time and cursing […]
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