Just like sun tans, holiday romances and/or friendships rarely endure. They’re usually things of their time and place and they can’t easily be replicated or prolonged. Although not always, as happened to us some 18 years ago on a disappointingly cold all-inclusive holiday in Turkey… Read More »Driver off the deck…
The stress of going away. We’ve all been there. A unique feeling of general anxiety and occasional terror. Passports, turning the oven off, enough pairs of underpants, deodorant, water-proofs? Do you think it will rain? We’re going to Scotland. It could be cold… Sun cream?… Read More »I needed two heroes…
My latest venture to arrest the career oblivion visited on me by lockdown is to create an audio version of my book, Eclipsed. The story of how my eldest son out-gunned my best efforts in show-business before his teenage years. He is Tom Holland, the… Read More »Who knew….
Us human beings – we like to big ourselves up. We embellish our roles in life and exaggerate our achievements to curry influence and gain respect. But very few people have genuinely important jobs. I mean jobs that really matter. When Nikki had an ectopic… Read More »Trying kids…
To Oxford this week, the city of spires and steeples, quadrangles and gowns, bicycles and Dons. The oldest university town in the English speaking world, founded in 1069. The university where 28 UK Prime Ministers cut their teeth and 72 Nobel prize winners learnt their… Read More »The spoken word…
Doing numerous radio interviews for Takes on Life, presenters off-air have been careful to enquire if it’s agreeable to make mention of my progeny and in particular my first born. I am approving of their etiquette and manners and I quickly assure them that is… Read More »Being green is bad for us…
Finally, an upside of Covid 19 with Sam returning home because the world famous Gleneagles resort has been shut until February 2021. Waiting for him at Gatwick airport this week I felt ambivalent. Excited of course to see my Sam but saddened to experience a… Read More »Slap dash or Cunning?
All those years ago when I first presented my young boys with a half a grapefruit each for breakfast, I had no idea where it might lead. They were rejected of course, the grapefruits, I mean. Tom, Sam and Harry basically downed spoons. Too bitter.… Read More »Half a grapefruit anyone?
I am bemused by how many people appear to be enjoying lockdown – and talk as though it might be a new way forward. The new era whereby work is something that we did, do you remember? Or that work is something we do… Read More »Lockdown blues…
During courtroom dramas, we are familiar with expert witnesses. People who are called to give their expert opinion, most usually on something medical or technical. I know a chap who makes his living as an expert witness on road collisions. I can’t imagine a court… Read More »In my vaunted opinion…