writing
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Oxfords, Not Brogues
By all accounts, Reginald John Blacklock lived a very ordinary life. Known simply as John to his friends, he was characterised predominantly as diligent, strongly principled, often prickly, and entirely dependable. John was born in 1942, with eyes of blue,… Continue reading
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Greetings, Dear Sun
Ahhhhhh… The Sun. The God of Gods. Divine Designer. Harbinger of All that is Good. The darkness trembles as The Sun heralds its arrival, sending ripples of thunderous crimsons, amethysts, and lilacs across the ill-fated night. Moving with the undefeated… Continue reading
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Introducing… An Appalachian Tale
I have long intended to write about my experiences on the Appalachian Trail. But every time I do, I am stumped. Where to begin? Can five months’ experience, undoubtedly the most revelatory and intense of my life, be reduced into… Continue reading
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Sometimes, It All Just Gets a Bit Much
Life’s a funny old thing. One moment, you’re careening through the world, feeling on top of it all. And the next, you’re frustrated—then confused by your frustration, then angry that your frustration is confusing you. It feels like a sigh… Continue reading
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Down and Out, on the South Bank and Docklands
Not long ago, I shared in a truly spontaneous and beautiful night. To celebrate a university friend’s birthday I went into London proper, to join him, his nearest, and his dearest for a night on The Town. I arrived late,… Continue reading
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A Weave about The Meeting of Minds; and a Review of The Durham Podcast
‘Let’s start a podcast!’ is to the 2020s, it is often said, is what ‘Let’s start a band!’ was to previous decades. While there’s truth to this comparison, the key difference lies in the enjoyability for one’s friends. If many… Continue reading
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Podcasts I love, and a pledge to write daily
Podcasts are an extraordinary medium. In listening to interesting people talk to interesting people, we are given privileged access to private conversations teeming with compelling ideas. There are some qualifiers to this, however. In line with this, how do I… Continue reading
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Table Tennis as Magic
What do Jesus and table tennis have in common? They both start by saying “Love All”. … Last night was the last I’ll ever spend in the house where I spent my entire childhood. My brothers and I have left… Continue reading
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Introducing: The Bookshelf
There’s a quote I love by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “I don’t remember the books I have read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so they have made me.” Whilst I often take refuge in this phrase when… Continue reading
The Eye of an Archer 