1. Finding in Oxfam a copy of The Secret World of Polly Flint, a book I read when I was about seven and loved. As a downtrodden school girl, I admired Polly tremendously for her rhyming and her silent remarks to adults who crossed her: 'I'm a younger and worser, I suppose. Why does getting older make you a better?'. And she shouts 'Mustard tarts to you' at a boy who teases her. The story concerns magic between Mayday and Midsummer and a lost village whose church bells you can hear if you press your ear to village green.
2. Walking into a club and discovering that you are not the oldest people there. We went to The 100 Club on Oxford Street to see The Martin Harley Band - man in hat makes extraordinary noises with guitar - and Omar and the Howlers - giant Texan singer belts out blues in rumbling bass.
3. Going to sleep in a spare room with a proper duvet and a furry blanket and lovely bit fat pillows. And also, Katie and Jonathan have a lampshade made of metal flowers and leaves - it comes in a sheet and you scrunch it round the light fitting to whatever shape you like.
Shelter, arisen and pub.
1. We are sheltered under the garden centre's great barn roof. There is a rush of sound and air as the rain comes down. 2. A mushroom, c...
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1. Stirring the brewing coffee to break the floating crust and bring up the crema. 2. We have donuts to give the children at teatime. 3. Th...
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1. An enormous fat bumble bee at work. She is so bulky that she can knock dead blossoms out of the way as she gets right in to the new jasmi...
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1. The shortest night and the longest day. I was up at Wellington Rocks with Anna, Paul and Jason. We couldn't see the sun through the m...