At pie-ah-zah dust-mote, turn right. My travelling companion and I look at each other and fall about laughing. Where?! The Italian pronunciation on the sat-nav is – to put it mildly – appalling. Still, it’s keeping us entertained, and we … Continue reading
There’s the usual babble of noise in the classroom. I pull up a chair and settle myself down directly in front of the five teenagers that have come to school today. With my hands clutching the edge of the seat, … Continue reading
Peggy was a formidable woman. Brought up atheist by Jewish parents, and married to a practising Christian, her faith was, in many ways, cooking – something which she passed on to her daughter, who in turn passed it on to … Continue reading
We’re in a bar. It’s seventies night. There’s free food. Could this be any better? My partners in crime for this evening, Alison and Kate, not usually big drinkers, are getting stuck in, and we’re all on our second or … Continue reading
The sun’s burning the top of my feet as I sit at my desk, supposedly lesson-planning, but actually procrastinating as always. I’m holding out for as long as possible before moving, but it gets to the point where I just … Continue reading
The first time I left home I was about seven years old. I can’t remember now why I felt the need to do so, but the fact remains that I did. I picked up my favourite doll of the time … Continue reading
Ma, maestra! Hai i capelli bianchi! Arianna is sitting on my lap, supposedly looking at a clock and telling me the time in English, but actually pointing out the grey hairs at my temples, which are all too obvious at … Continue reading
On days like today, when the wind is doing its best to batter through the windows and even the usually ebullient pigeons in the back yard have gone into hiding from the vertical rain, the only thing to do is … Continue reading
With International Women’s Day just around the corner, here’s a look back at what happened last year. Mimosa, party horns and drag queens: long may they thrive. ******** Middle-aged drunk woman has a party horn. It’s got silver tassles on … Continue reading
My students are yelling and leaping up and down with joy. Sadly it’s nothing I’ve done to make them so ecstatic. Well, apart from being rubbish at classroom discipline. It’s Tuesday night and a minute previously we’d been entering the … Continue reading
