To my left the cows scattered about the field did their best to ignore me. To the right, across the ditch, the sheep paid close attention and regarded me with suspicion (it’s what they do). Behind me, the sun was far below the horizon, only the faintest glimmer of...
‘Moment you realise you fought through life for nothing’ A Chum I started work at first light and finished each day as the light faded, and I could no longer see what I was doing. I worked on the hypothesis that it’s probably not a good idea to be blindly swinging a...
‘Enough is a feast.’ She watched me; her head cocked to one side. I could feel her eyes follow my hand as I picked the black currant and bit into it. For a moment my lip quivered, and my eyebrow spasmed uncontrollably. Not quite ripe yet, then. As I walked away, I...
“What you don’t eat now you can have for breakfast.” My Mum. As I tipped the cold potato and various bits of vegetables into the pan the oil sizzled and bubbled with a brief intensity then settled down to a lively, but gentle, crackle. I watched the...
Looking at the tools hanging on the wall my gaze fell on the vertical line of spokeshaves and I began to count. 23! So many to choose from, one for every possible task, yet I use the same battered old no-name jobbie every time. I know its idiosyncrasies,...
“Cleaning is carried out not because there is dirt, but because it’s an aesthetic practice to cultivate the mind.” Shoukei Matsumoto – So, is it the chair, he hesitated briefly before continuing, or the process? – Oh! That’s simple; it’s the...
