Do you write longhand or on a computer? Or. Do you write in the morning or at night? What is it that the questioner hopes to understand from these questions that I have heard a million times at writer’s festivals and author talks? I groan internally—in fact next time I think I’ll make it audible—at …
Category Archives: society
Leeds leads
We arrived back from Spain at 11:30pm. The booked taxi did turn up and we careered through the Yorkshire countryside, rolling around in the back seat. We fell 23 degrees C in three hours, down to a welcome of three miserly degrees above freezing. Why are butchers always cheery? As I brought a couple of …
Private smiles
Smiles, it seems are a cultural thing. The Spanish do not indulge in the habit where strangers are concerned. Brits and Aussies bestow them fairly liberally, I suppose it’s a mixture of politeness and signalling non-aggressive intent. My smiles are automatic, but were rarely returned in Spain. From an outsider’s perspective the Spanish are a …
Undies require two pegs
It is always interesting to go to foreign lands and see their domestic arrangements. For instance, how can life proceed without a kettle? Hairdryers and irons are always found, but kettles rarely. Now we are in Madrid, this is big city living and we are the proud possessors of both a kettle and a bath. …
Moorish is moreish
Cordoba has always been a melting pot and today is no different. We wander through streets thick with milling tourists, and for the first time we have struck gold with the marketing opportunities. Tacky tourist shops line the narrow streets. Tiles and dolls, frocks and leather vie for attention. All very expensive and very, very …
Feria de Abril – The Seville Fair
There has been an explosion of colour. It is Divali meets Royal Ascot and the Melbourne Cup rolled into one. It is the Feria de Abril, the Seville Spring Fair. Gone are the sober clothes of simple tailored lines so universally adopted. Everywhere there is colour, frills and furbelows. Flamenco dresses and flowers, felt hats …
Salatheel 