While the world takes a breath

I know we’re in the middle of an awful time. People are sick and dying, all over the world we’re at the mercy of a common enemy that we don’t as yet have any way to attack, nor do we have any means to defend ourselves, apart from social distancing and isolation. The world is

Like a Drunk in a Tumble Dryer

Yesterday one of my friends asked on Facebook – ‘How are you handling the new normal?’ and the instant reply that came into my head was ‘like a drunk in a tumble dryer’. It describes perfectly the amount of grace, or lack of it, that I have on hand right now to handle this dystopian

Educating Rita, and me

Theatre reflecting life

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…

“Turn and face the strange” We talk about the phases of life coming and going like the seasons, but that’s not really true, is it? We know that as autumn ends and winter begins that if we keep going and don’t get careless and die, then sure as the sun rises we will see spring,

The Martian Theory

I’ve never felt like I totally belonged here on earth. I’ve always been slightly bemused, and felt alien towards most of life’s game rules. As a result I’m often puzzled, frequently amused and mostly lost (but not always in a bad way). I call the way I brought my son up ‘The Martian Theory’. It

A Letter I Wish I Could Deliver

Dear 16 year old me, I would have thought that by the time I was 55 that I would have it all sussed by now, but it seems not to be the case. I still don’t really have a clue what I’m doing, so I’m writing to you to say a few things about stuff I’ve

Decision Making Sucks!

Making decisions sucks – and making big decisions sucks big time You not only want to make the right choice, but you also, underneath it all, want to win by making the right choice, and winning usually means saving yourself from feeling that you’ve stuffed up. I have a system I’ve used for nearly 20

Mind Games

                One of the fundamental tools of achieving a joyful life is actually taking the decision to choose joy. In other words, managing our mindset.  To do that we need to believe that we always have a choice in how we to respond to circumstances. This is where

When Joy Can Save Your Life!

 Sasha* one of my Stand-Up comedy students had come along to the class under duress. She could not see the point of it. Fun? Why bother when her job, her family and her life in general seemed to be just constantly dragging her down. She felt like she was made of lead and did not

The Delicious Dram

When it comes to whisky-making, the copper stills used to distill the spirit are often very very old, sometimes hundreds of years old. Over time the stills get a bit bashed and each develops its unique pattern of bumps and dents. The wild thing is, this affects the taste of the whisky that particular still