DNF

I promise that this running story differs from my usual sanctimonious smuggery. Stick with me and you may even detect some humility. My latest marathon was a first but in the wrong way; there was no Finisher’s t-shirt or medal on account of my failure to complete the course. The only thing that I acquired…

A roll over

I am more than happy with my membership of the ‘Over Sixty Club’; I have veered away from wearing beige knitwear, support stockings and Lily of the Valley perfume and I try not to sigh loudly when I lower myself into my favourite armchair of an evening. However, talking to my nephew and niece at…

Identity Leakage

I find myself in need of distraction after binge-listening the ‘Stalked’ podcast series on BBC Sounds before realising that the last four episodes are still to be released. I feel on edge. I am selfishly in need of closure on this investigation; goodness knows how the victim and her loved ones must feel after all…

I dream of space

I do not dream of space in the sense of Rocket Man, Star Wars or Apollo 13 for I am far too grounded. I like to have both feet on the ground and I am too busy wrestling with the demands of this planet to worry about the space travel needed to find another. No….

Bollygood

You will have wondered how I have been ploughing my way through my smorgasbord of birthday experiences – each adventure gifted to me on the event of my 60th birthday after some shameless begging of chums to treat me to something that I may not have experienced before. In my defence, I was extremely broke…

Careless whispers

I have decided to share a grumpy senior women vent about a lack of volume control in public places, and I am not just referring to ‘ambient’ music. Before you accuse me of hypocrisy, I freely admit that I shamelessly get some of my writing ideas by earwigging into other people’s conversations – some might…

Mudlarking

I am close to the point of looking back over my shoulder at my sixtieth year. If you remember, I celebrated ‘that’ birthday by encouraging friends to coax me out of my comfort zone and do something with them that they enjoyed but I had not experienced before. I was spoilt with such an embarrassment…

Wobble

It felt strange to reach the end of the first school term of my teaching career with no date in the diary for a cheeky coffee with my mother, a catch up which would have allowed me to recalibrate, decompress and make sense of it all. Without indulging in a pity party (just a small…

Late to the party

For the first time ever I have been commissioned to write a follow up blog. Admittedly my patron was a little bit wobbly bob at the time she tasked me with this new project, but I distinctly heard her ask someone to take our photo for her ‘follow up birthday post’ ; far be it…

In denial

My oldest friend is in denial about turning sixty. For once I am ahead of the game (being that much older than she is) and I am able to tell her that she will love every minute. I can also offer my friend the gift of pronouncing to the world that tomorrow is her 60th…