The Property Ladder Diaries – £17.56 and Counting
As a reward for being good, I give my son a green chip. Each chip is worth £1. He is saving up for Gunkster, a Hot Wheels monster truck that…
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March 18, 2026
African family tree
Zohran Mamdani Didn’t Lie: The Simple Rules of the African Family Tree
I stumbled across a discussion online accusing Zohran Mamdani of lying for calling someone ‘Aunt’ who wasn’t related to him by blood or marriage. I found this rather amusing. Anyone…
November 12, 2025
Another Library Lost: Remembering Aunt Elizabeth
Parents in my childhood didn’t concern themselves with entertaining their children. Boredom was not their concern. You were left to your own devices, and we soon found ways to entertain…
October 28, 2025
The Luck of Being Alive
Forget the Lottery: Your Greatest Luck Is Simply Being Here
I was listening to a fascinating discussion about luck on the Curious Cases podcast where one of my favourite people, Sir David Spiegelhalter, mentioned that in conversations we have with…
October 19, 2025
A Modest Proposal for Standard-Sized Books (By Royal Decree)
I love books, the look of them, the smell of them, and sometimes even the contents. Over the years, I’ve hoarded a vast collection. I’ll admit, I haven’t read as…
October 10, 2025
power of storytelling
Movies I’ve “Seen” Without Watching: Pop Culture by Osmosis
I had to sit through a primary school production of Grease this week, a few out-of-tune songs, some stumbled lines, a dash of overacting, a sprinkle of comic relief and…
July 21, 2025
The Gimmick Trap: Why Modern Tech Drives Me Nuts
As a millennial, I am lucky to have straddled both the pre and post digital age. I remember when the most exciting technology available was a box TV which was…
June 11, 2025
You’re Closer Than You Think
Often, we make problems bigger than they really are. Back when I was in university, I had a car I bought for £350, old Kia Pride. It was my pride…
June 4, 2025
The Garden, The Gossip and the Gatekeepers
I enjoy pottering about in the garden, mowing lawns, weeding, building a deck or two, a plant bed here, a vegetable patch there. I’m actually decent at it now, though…
May 27, 2025
Eating Last: A Horrifying Lesson from a Forgotten Film
One sleepless night a few years ago, I was flicking through late night TV. Somewhere between the exuberant salespeople banking on sleep deprivation to sell wearable blankets, and lifetime movies…
May 24, 2025