Three Favourite Books of 2006 1. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson. 2. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson. 3. Human Croquet, Kate Atkinson. ‘MON THE KATE! If I was Scottish I might say that in 2006 I went pure dead MENTAL for the works of Kate Atkinson. Born in York, the author now resides Read More
This week in Blogland feels dead, like the non-ratings summer period you get on Australian telly where it's all Macgyver and M*A*S*H repeats. So while it is quiet I shall write about my favourite things from 2006. And there's nothing you can do to stop me! First up: BLOGS. There are so many sailors on Read More
On the way to the train station yesterday I went by a posh clothing boutique and there was a mannequin in the window wearing a very lovely frock. Flattering-to-redheads green, flattering-to-dumpy-gal wrap style, and 50% off! But I was running late so I carried on. I was meeting an excellent Internet Friend for the first Read More
Now that Rhi and I are old and living on the opposite side of the world from the family, we have been forced to establish our own festive traditions. I'm not sure if the Christmas Stereo Speaker Tree will catch on or if I will get off my arse and buy a proper specimen next Read More
Thank you kindly for your muffin stump advice! It's definitely our shitty old oven. You can whack in a tray of chips for an hour and they'll just lay there, all pale and indifferent. So you say to yourself, Okay, I'll give them five more minutes, then POW! They've turned into cremains. The oven is Read More
I have officially just run out of festive cheer. I was all fired up after watching Nigella groping dried fruits and tree ornaments on her show last week and thought, Capital! I am going to do some baking for my work colleagues. Much better than a tin of Quality Street! So I spent five bloody Read More
Gareth thinks it's a hoot how in Australia we call the shop at which you purchase alcohol, "the bottle-o". I don't this is any less ridiculous than the way Brits call their equivalent Off-Licence, "the offie", but then again the fella is generally a big fan of Australian lingo. He picked up the word sook Read More
Ten years ago this week Crowded House had their Farewell To The World concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Last night I watched the new 10th Anniversary DVD and it's still bloody magnificent. I was so devastated the day after that concert, back in Bathurst and getting ready for my shift at Read More
There is something compelling about a man with a ham. A giant pig leg with the hoof still on it, slung casually over his shoulder like a banjo. There were hundreds of Ham Men at the MotoGP in Valencia. At the gates, security guards confiscated cans of beer and jars of olives but it was Read More
I was watching Heather do the Weather on Reporting Scotland the other night and right at the end she stepped to the left to allow the graphic to pop up beside her and proclaim the next day's weather in a giant font. In some countries you'd get Fine and Sunny or maybe even Cool and Read More
