A year ago, I was optimistic that the Pandemic might soon end. With the arrival of summer, I hoped the prevalence of the virus might diminish and I would no longer need to wear a mask and gel my hands. I anticipated meeting family and friends, locally and further...

  Beggar’s Opera,  1963       It being November, I wore my tartan mini, knee high boots, white polo neck.   Me, being me, I took my part to heart, even in rehearsal.   I wrapped my baby in a woollen shawl, flung her like I kicked off   my shoes,...

Review of Seventy Percent Water by Jeanette Sheppard   This debut collection of 31 flash fiction stories is beautifully bound by publisher EllipsisZine, its cover designed by Jeanette herself. It well illustrates the water of the title story, that human beings are...

In this darkest of winters, one of the pleasures has been discovering local walks. One of my favourites has been to Ashow, along the lanes to Chesterton Grange, and through the woods below Hill Wootton. It takes a long time for all the leaves to fall, and the woods...

Marram Grass, Ammophilia arenaia Marram describes the journey on Highland ponies through the Outer Isles, by Leonie Charlton and her friend. They ride from the tip of Barra up South and North Uist, the islands of Harris and Lewis, to the ancient stone circle of...

The impact of the coronavirus on my life was sudden. I remember worrying about it during January and February because of news of deaths in Wuhan, China. In March the virus was clearly moving through Europe and my anxiety increased.  It became personal on 4th...