An optical illusion. Patterned circles seem to rotate. The image hurts my eyes!

Learning to Read (Again)

I have always described my reading style as staring at a passage, catching the words like fish into a net, and then hoping my brain would process them and rearrange them into the right order.

Stock photo of a red neon light against a whitewashed wall or ceiling. It's visually uncomfortable to look at.

Not Boredom

This afternoon is one of those afternoons. The cacophony created by the oven, washing machine, lawnmowers, birds, someone's TV, dogs barking, planes overhead, neighbours talking, shouting, swearing, belching hurt my ears but my headphones feel too hot and tight.

Stock abstract photo of yellow and orange bubbles or light against a red orange background. It looks hot and hazy.

Heatwaves, Hornets and Horses

I may have forgotten, but I don't recall there being what Simon and I darkly refer to as one-of-those-weird-days when we lived anywhere else but here. Days when everything around us starts to feel a little frantic and out of control.

Stock aerial photo of a hedge maze.

Mozart, Wine and Pizza

I figured it's time I told you all another daft story. I have many. This one is a tad farcical and explains why I was teetotal for two whole years in my early twenties...

Stock photo of a galaxy. Sorry, I don't know which galaxy.

Facehugger

In the summer of 1991 I was doing my A levels (Music, Literature and Art in case you were wondering) and I had not yet seen Aliens. That's Aliens with a big A. To clarify, I hadn't knowingly seen aliens with a little a either. Still haven't.

Stock photo of a small pile of flat black pebbles.

Autism Awareness

#AutismAwarenessMonth - a.k.a April - is a tricky one for many autistic people as commercial autism charities bombard social media with publicity stunts to raise awareness of autism prevention-and-cure research fundraising opportunities.

Stock photo of a busy Parisian street at night. People are sat at small round tables on the pavement and a chalkboard advertises Stellla at 5.5 a pint

Lost in Paris

Back in the mid-90s, while I was a piano and violin teacher, I joined a friend's band called Movietone for a couple of years. During that time we recorded two albums and two sessions for John Peel, played some gigs (Bristol, London and Brighton) and did a mini tour in France.

Stock photo glimpsing the front, f-holes and fingerboards of several violins hung vertically.

Fiddle Lessons

A random conversation with a good friend (always the best) about rollup cigarettes sparked a few memories yesterday. They made me smile and I thought they might make you smile too...