I have spent the past couple of weeks helping my mother settle in to her new flat in Amersham after 20 years in Mumbles, Swansea. But it's not the first time she has moved from South Wales to the South East. In 1951, Dad got a job in London. Among the mounds of superfluous paperwork that Mum brought with her from her old house, I have found a few gems - including letters my dad sent to my … [Read more...] about Letters from my father – remembering Bill Glick, 1926-2000
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A “spesh” time when I played fast and loose with the English language
When I was a music journalist back in the Eighties I thought nothing of casually mangling the English language. In those days it was "hip" to use in-jokes, amusing abbreviations, shorthand, wordplay and made-up words to create a vernacular of belonging for the readers. I wince when I read some of the reviews I wrote because the way in which I expressed myself was very much of its time and seems … [Read more...] about A “spesh” time when I played fast and loose with the English language
The day I missed The Greatest Gig of All Time
On this day 30 years ago, I was sitting in my parents' front room waiting for The Greatest Gig of All Time to begin. Only back then, it wasn't clear that this was going to be quite such a momentous event. With my rock journo cynicism, I had doubted whether Bob Geldof could pull it off, so had decided to send another member of the Record Mirror staff to Wembley. It turned out to be one of my … [Read more...] about The day I missed The Greatest Gig of All Time
One small step towards fulfilling a dream for my great-grandfather
I believe that the work I was born to do is to help people find their voice, find their message and find the story that only they can tell. But I’m not so good at helping myself. I often lose sight of my self-expression and creativity – and consequently my dreams. And that’s why I decided to attend Diane Leigh's Dream Team Experience workshop. Diane is one of the most focused and dynamic people I … [Read more...] about One small step towards fulfilling a dream for my great-grandfather
Nick Williams interviews me about the power of personal story
My good friend and mentor Nick Williams - author of many books including The Work We Were Born to Do - interviewed me about my work and why I believe in the power of story. In our conversation you'll discover: Why I think story is the fabric of life How we frame our life experience in story form How I help people become conscious of the story they're telling themselves How you can … [Read more...] about Nick Williams interviews me about the power of personal story
Every picture tells a story… doesn’t it?
I often talk about the unreliability of human memory and how we tell a different story about an event from the past every time we recall it. But when you are presented with photographic evidence of a particular moment in time, there is an undeniable story right there. It's a strange feeling when you see a photograph of yourself that you can't remember being taken - one that you never knew … [Read more...] about Every picture tells a story… doesn’t it?