IT HAS BEEN a little hazy, rather smoky around Sydney of late – at times significantly more polluted than even Delhi or Beijing so, as the natives say, only the ‘firies’ can save us!
The various rescue and firefighting services that do fabulous work in saving human and animal lives, buildings and often complete town centres, are well lauded throughout this state and wide brown land where droughts have lasted years in some instances. It felt fantastical to read of the frequent rain and floods back in the UK – as unreal as Australia must sound to you cold, wet Poms. Brrr! Even recent daytimes in Sydney feature very dark skies with ash raining down, or a blood red sun glaring down from another overcast hot sky; but never any rain here . . . Continue reading Strange Days Indeed→
THE DARK EVENINGS are upon us once again. Autumn has definitely arrived, with winter just round the corner, and, since we are cyclical beings, our physical and mental requirements flow in line with the particular time of the year. To support our health during this season I have focused on three areas to help us stay healthy. Continue reading Healthy Eating during the Colder Months→
MANY YEARS AGO I came upon this statement in an article by Iris Murdoch (pictured). She was discussing the novels of Jean Paul Sartre. Although she admired his work, something fundamental was lacking. In this phrase she stated exactly what it was. Have you heard of Iris Murdoch? Perhaps just the name, Iris, will stir your memory. Did you see a beautiful film, just a few years ago, which contrasted the early life of a brilliant young woman with the final stages of that life, her mind struggling with dementia? Continue reading The Absurd, Irreducible Uniqueness of People . . .→
SEVENTY-SEVEN YEARS ago Major Melody, a tall, handsome American Army officer, had begged my mother to be allowed to take me, the youngest of her five daughters, to dinner at the nearby US army camp. I loved it when Major Melody hugged me and insisted on holding my hand. There he was, at the door, and we stepped into the warm balm of a Devonshire evening and jumped into an open-top Jeep. Continue reading Major Melody→
A BRIGHTON MUSEUM exhibit has landed a starring role in the new BBC1 drama ‘His Dark Materials’. The Booth, the natural history museum in Dyke Road, loaned a stuffed hare to the production company which used the animal as a starting point for a CGI character. Continue reading Brighton Hare Transformed→
Everything you ever wanted to know about life in Brighton (OK, and Hove)
The Whistler 