It’s always strange on a Friday to be surrounded by famous names. In our house, everyone has a name that is peculiarly and particularly not famous. My eldest, Miriam, is Huncs. Huncs is a contraction of Hunca Munca, who is one of the Bad Mice in Beatrix Potter’s ‘Tale of Two Bad Mice’, and Miriam …
I gave a lecture on Tuesday. “So what”, I hear you cry. Well, it is my job; but this one was actually fun, because I got to talk for an hour about my favourite artist, the dazzling star of the Florentine Renaissance, the one, the only Donatello. Thing is, it was a terrible lecture. It …
Last year at my house, my partner Susie was away at the exact moment in December when we normally get the tree. Now there are those who would regard this as a golden opportunity to take back control of Christmas - choose, install and decorate the tree in a quasi-military operation; no discussion, no arguments, …
I am feeling young today. But it is not because I have a youthful spring in my step. Nor am I dazzled by the heady possibilities of a world yet unexplored, the rich potential of a life yet to be lived. No. I am feeling young like a naughty schoolboy: it’s the end of term …
I love coming here. I don’t say it often enough, but thank you for having me. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the conversation sparkling and the new coffee machine more than adequate. Even so, this is, to say the least, a mildly intimidating environment on a Friday morning. Over there is that bloke out …
There used to be mice in our house. Sitting at the kitchen table late in the evening I would occasionally see them scurrying across the floor and then disappearing through impossibly small gaps in the skirting. Once, they went into my bag and ate some chocolate. But mostly they kept themselves to themselves and stayed …
I’m so sorry not to be there with you in the studio this morning. It sounds fun. Having said that, though, perhaps it’s for the best because I have a suspicion I might be just a touch intimidated because my word you’re a disciplined bunch. And, to be frank, I am not. But you, Tom, …
Let’s start with the gross bit. A little while ago I developed an unpleasant ear infection, my ears gummed up and for the next three weeks I was unable to hear very much at all. Now, to be honest, there are times when not being able to hear is a relief. When a meeting is …
It’s Friday and they think it’s all over. Time to Pause for Thought – except no one wants to Pause. I don’t. I just want to get to the end of the day, the end of the week and have two blessed mornings not riding the bus to Oxford. So spare a thought, ladies and …
I spent Wednesday this week with some of my oldest friends, Nick and Kate, and Kim. These are friends I grew up with, went to school with, friends I still love forty-odd years later. I don’t see them as often as I’d like but sometimes we still need each other. And you all, you lovely …