The lockdown blues

Who was it who said ‘Living with your adult children goes against nature’?

Oh yes, I think it was me.

A mother and son smiling in front of a Christmas tree

It was long before the financial implications of choosing a life in The Yarts had hit home to two generations of my family: my muso son and me. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. The writing/music life fixes you in its gaze and you are powerless to look away. So here we are in lockdown together.

Continue reading

Slow dating: the online search for love during lockdown

This online dating story was the catalyst for a piece of mine that appeared in The Guardian this week. It led to a second pitch, a whole new focus and a home in one of my favourite newspapers. It’s a lesson in perseverance and sheer bloodymindedness.  Guardian headlines with image of a woman looking at a laptop

Here is the original…

An English friend of mine, now in her late 70s, introduced her husband to me by saying ‘This is Bill. I advertised for him in the Guardian.’

Continue reading