A couple of weeks ago, for a miniature holiday, my partner Susie and I went to stay in a caravan at Ringstead Bay in Dorset, lent to us by my kind friend Vickey. It poured on the way down and when we stopped, mid-afternoon, at Tolpuddle, to pay homage to the Tolpuddle Martyrs, transported to …
I woke up tired this morning. On Friday, I went to see my Dad in hospital, where he’s stuck with a bout of pneumonia, and then had supper with my Mum. On Saturday I saw some very old friends, sat around, sang, laughed a lot and went busking. My children showed up as if by …
Bank holiday is like therapy. In the middle of busy and ordinary, there’s suddenly a moment for special, for the seaside, for friends, for beer in the garden, for a deep breath and a sigh of contentment. A bank holiday is good for the national psyche. Now, I have a group of psychiatrists who I …
It's great to have a lot of money. I know this to be true because once a month I feel as if I have a lot of money and I like it. It makes me wonder whether I might buy a new bike, or some new sneakers, whether I might go out for dinner or …
I am an art historian by profession and I work in a museum. The past is my business. I’m supposed to know something about it and to be able to teach about it. If I had one, therefore, the temptation to use a time machine would be very great indeed. Imagine the thrill of being …