It has been heartening to see the reaction of ordinary people to the refugee crisis. Our government has been slow to recognise the will of their electorate, and is now patting itself on the back for agreeing to take a few thousand of the most vulnerable each year, and for diverting much of our overseas […]
It was early in 1997 that my sister-in-law asked me whether, amidst raising four children, running a business with my husband, and tutoring in the evenings, I ever longed to indulge in something creative that was just for me. I opened my mouth to admit that yes, I’d love to go back to playing the […]
When my eldest child was born, my midwife, GP and health visitor all urged me to lay him down to sleep on his stomach, with his head turned to one side. Together with the baby care books of the time, they informed me that, if I placed him down on his back, he would choke […]
I am fortunate to live in a most beautiful spot, on a ridge overlooking the Sussex Weald, and my writing desk has stunning views across our garden to a wooded valley, with Ashdown Forest in the background. Actually, I sit facing into the room, with the warm sunshine on my back, to avoid falling into […]
There are many well-meaning people who are sure that we have learned enough from the terrible events of the 1930s that led to the holocaust not to let them happen again. Many of us are sure that, taken back to 1938, we would have petitioned our government to allow parents to accompany their children on […]
Since the Second World War ended, since the horror of the concentration camps and the full extent of Hitler’s genocidal aspirations became known throughout all sectors of society, there has been a determination that such atrocities should not be repeated. “Never again” has been an impulse that has influenced education, politics, and outreach initiatives throughout […]
There have always been issues where we have a great deal invested in our own point of view, and where we risk considering those who disagree with us as so different that we no longer see all that we have in common with them. This is never more so than when we become parents; this […]
This wonderful life-affirming hot weather has lasted for nearly two weeks now, and opening doors and windows wide to catch any breeze, then watering the fruit and vegetable beds, have become part of my early-morning routine, as if these sweltering summer days had long been the norm.
Last night, my daughter phoned me to remind me that today was the first of May, and to ask me if I’d be going to watch the dancing up of the sun. I nearly didn’t go, but my daughter does a far more tiring job than I do, and works longer hours, so her enthusiasm […]
It has been an enormous privilege for me to have been involved with my father in writing his memoirs.