Blog Archive

Oceans and islands

It’s time for an adventure. Perhaps it’s always time for an adventure of one kind or another? The trouble is, many people live in my head – it gets very crowded in there. The bold, brave me makes plans to have a bold, brave adventure and then disappears a few days before it’s time to continue reading »


Home is a river

The ice floes are long gone and, with the arrival of sunshine, life on the river is once again to be envied rather than pitied….. April was an intense month in the studio, with many projects on the go, but the Beowulf festival at the beginning of May was a great success, culminating in a spectacular continue reading »


Hanging out in Havana

‘Do you want a piece of toast?’ I joked to the man next to me on deck, as the ship manoeuvred into Havana harbour. The man in question was John Lenahan, comedian and magician whose cv in the ship’s daily programme revealed that he was also the voice of the toaster in comedy sci fi continue reading »


From Panama to Mexico… and back again

We’re heading south again, down the Pacific coast. In the last few days we’ve called at Acapulco, then Guatemala, then Nicaragua. By the time the cruise is over we will have dipped our toes into every Latin American country from Colombia to Mexico; each visit is frustratingly short but fascinating and now at least I continue reading »


Ukuleles on the Spanish Main

Arriving in a new country by air, everywhere looks very similar. Arriving by sea is a slow reveal, especially when we approach in daylight. Our first view of St Lucia was of glorious forested mountains, neat multicoloured houses and small harbour and bays. Port of Spain, Trinidad was a noisy city, Aruba affluent and low continue reading »