I spent the whole of Good Friday 2012 crawling around on my hands and knees, clearing out the loft. This had been a long time coming. When my husband (then boyfriend) moved into my small flat in 2008, some of his belongings and what seemed like half of my life had to be moved into the space above our bedroom. It had stayed there, unloved and ignored, ever since - partly because we had never got … [Read more...] about Rescuing the Purple Princess
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Suddenly One Summer
It is the summer of 1976 - one of the hottest I have ever known. I am 19 years old, and personal secretary to a genial grey-haired transport specialist at the Department of the Environment who is counting the days to retirement. I have been doing this job since I left school at 18. It’s comfortable and undemanding, with a reasonable salary. I have no cause to imagine that my career will not … [Read more...] about Suddenly One Summer
Sole to Soul
What is it about footwear that is so memorable? I still remember the sandals I wore to primary school – traditional Clarks with spongy soles and a T-bar, and the silvery sparklers I paraded around in when I was crowned May Queen. That was when shoes were fun and easy. When I got to my teens, things got woeful and complicated. All of a sudden shoes were important, shoes spoke volumes … [Read more...] about Sole to Soul
A Warm Glass of Flat Cola
A friend of mine once told me that coming events cast their shadow. At the time I didn’t really know what she meant; I was too busy living in a champagne bubble to care. The year was 1988, I was the editor of a pop magazine and had no boundaries in place between work and play. I did both far too hard and the notion of a holiday was alien to me. Then the aforementioned friend invited … [Read more...] about A Warm Glass of Flat Cola
“My story is boring….” Is that true?
In all my 30 years as a journalist, interviewer, reviewer and commentator, I have yet to come across a single human being who doesn't have a unique story to tell. However, they did not necessarily know that they had a story to tell. Why? There could be many reasons. There's a part of them - probably a protecting or controlling part - that is telling the story that they are dull and boring. This … [Read more...] about “My story is boring….” Is that true?
Anyone can embark on a hero’s journey
There's a reason why so many myths and fairytales, across all cultures and throughout history, have featured a hero's journey. This universal story speaks to us on a primal level, and its meaning is rooted deep in our collective unconscious. Many of the biggest box-office films of the past 40 years have been based on the hero's journey, from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings and, more recently, Harry … [Read more...] about Anyone can embark on a hero’s journey