This is the work of an irrational bully — There’s been such an outpouring of condemnation from all over the world, quite rightly, against the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The purpose of these words is merely to support the voice of Sergey Faldin and his incredibly insightful and personal view of the current crisis and the sense of hopelessness…

With your head in the clouds — I’ve often been accused of having my head in the clouds, but sometimes it’s a good place to be. Sometimes, we need to get away and take time out to reflect on where we are in our lives. That’s not been possible for a while. However, my family and I…

A light-hearted interlude — As a subscriber to our local Freecycle communities, I often pass on items we no longer require that may be useful to others. If you’re not familiar with it, Freecycle is a grassroots and non-profit charity for people to give and receive ‘stuff’, free of charge, in their own communities. …

Why it’s dry January for me — I like a drink — Occasionally, too much. For all the reasons people drink and are well documented, I’ve not had a break from alcohol since my first illegally purchased best bitter-dash as a 17-year-old more than four decades ago. Unlike today, then, it wasn’t questioned. There was no ID…

We can all make a difference in the next minute — I’ve no idea why this idea entered my head at 04:35 this morning. Anyway, I’ve decided to run with it. It’s been another challenging year for all of us and the uncertainty looks like continuing for some time yet. You don’t need me to tell you that. So, in the…

In every aspect of our lives — The more I listen, the more I hear, the more I learn. I wish I’d listened more. It’s such a valuable communication skill and yet it amazes me how routinely it’s overlooked. Generally, we’re not good at listening and miss out on so much as a result. If we just…

Exercise for a more contented life — The body we were issued with at birth has to last us a lifetime — Look after it. One of my local heroes reminds me of this every time I see him powering and perspiring away on the step machine or the ‘pull-up’ bar at our gym. As one of…