War-time hunger

Whilst we all experience hunger, most of us will fortunately never experience significant food shortages or deprivation (although I’m aware that I’m writing this post at a time of great uncertainty about Brexit and the possible implications – for food and a variety of other matters – should we end up with a ‘no deal’).  Continue reading “War-time hunger”

Hotel Life

One of the perks of my job is travel. And since most of my work trips require an overnight stay, I’ve become increasingly familiar with hotel rooms in the last couple of years. I still feel a flutter of excitement when I open the door of a hotel room to see it for the first time – and thankfully the flutter only occasionally turns to disappointment. And the delight of the bedroom is often matched – or surpassed – by the breakfast choices on offer in the hotel restaurant the next morning.   Continue reading “Hotel Life”

Literature and home

I love reading a book set in the place in which I live.  Coming across familiar buildings, landmarks and street names as I turn the pages of a novel arouses a pride in me that where I live is worthy of literary treatment.  The delight is increased when the geographical references are unexpected.  Discovering a passage in Maggie O’Farrell’s The hand that first held mine (2010), in which the couple at the centre of the present-day narrative take their newborn baby to see a doctor in Dartmouth Park, the area of North London in which I was then living, made me enjoy the book even more.  Continue reading “Literature and home”

Christmas Dinner

At this time of year I always write a festive-themed post for my blog. I’ve covered mince pies in Pride and Prejudice , Christmas cake in Jane Eyre fudge in Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales and rice cake from D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and LoversLast year I broke away from the Western Christian tradition and opted for Hannukah doughnuts from Francesca Segal’s The Innocents

But I have never written about Christmas dinner itself. So it’s time to remedy that.   Continue reading “Christmas Dinner”