Blog Archive

Sailing and sketching in Scilly

Every year I make the long journey to Cornwall at least once. It’s eight hours of tedious driving but I need my fix of rocks, cliffs and steel blue sea. I stay with good friends down in the far southwest corner of the land and we walk the cliffs and coves of Porthgwarra, Porthcurno, Gwennap continue reading »


To Scilly with a sketchbook, and other fragments

When the world seems full of noise and turbulence, anything that is quiet, gentle and creative seems all the more precious. Since last writing, I’ve been to Cornwall for my annual sailing and teaching trip on board Eve of St Mawes (www.classic-sailing.co.uk); I also sailed to Scilly on Eve’s big sister Amelie Rose (http://www.topsail-adventures.co.uk/), where continue reading »


Devices and desires

The first time I lived afloat was twenty five years ago, on a tiny gaff cutter, a mile upriver from my current mooring. Each summer I set sail with a crew and headed off down Channel to the West Country, the Scillies or Brittany, taking in festivals of sail along the way and trying, not continue reading »


Growing old disgracefully

Hooray….. after extensive research, experts have reached the conclusion that the age we are most likely to feel content and fulfilled with our lives is 58. This challenges all the values our world holds dear: that youth is everything, that women over 50 become invisible and no longer valued, that ageing is to be feared. continue reading »


Drawing at the edge of the world

This month brings more pilot cutter sailing and a few arty notes on the usefulness of horizon lines…..   My idea of a perfect moment is sitting on a traditional boat, preferably in the sunshine, with a glass of wine in one hand and a pencil in the other. My idea of a perfect job continue reading »