Monthly Archives: September 2026

I…lay listening to the mad, abandoned cries of flocks of pink-and-grey galahs that raved over me now and then, rolling and tumbling, revelling in their early-morning aerobatics. Some of them alighted briefly in the slender bare white arms of a … Continue reading →

(Crocus)…recall those miniature works of art created by the great Russian artificer Faberge in the luxurious days when the very rich could afford such extravagances… One wants to see them close to the eye, fully to appreciate the pencilling on … Continue reading →

I recently stumbled on Jon Appleton’s website when I searched ‘second golden age of children’s books’. It’s a celebration not just of writers, illustrators and books, but of publishers, editors, reviewers and commentators as well. At the time, I was … Continue reading →

The garden was a drug and I was hooked. I needed money to finance the habit. I began to understand completely why debtors resort to uncharacteristic, extreme crimes… Every penny spent was more than we could afford, and the knowledge … Continue reading →