A few weeks in 1990

The plague started with whole sentences said sarcastically, a superficially positive statement turned mordantly into a negative. “Oh yeh, I’d love to do that”.

Early 1980s

In junior school the class had collective recorder lessons, each of us equipped with a black and white Yamaha descant recorder. What I recall most is that I liked playing F#.

December 1991

I’m leaving aside jazz here.

In Mishima’s The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, the protagonist Mizoguchi has a stutter. At one point, it is suggested that stutterers speak more fluently in a second language.

February 2026

2.30 am on a school night. It’s been a while.

January 2026

January 2026

First I wanted to know whether I could run in -20C. Then if so, I wanted to know what it felt like.

January 2026

The sun coming up over the model boating pond, Hampstead Heath, on an early morning run into work.

One day, I hope, I will figure this out without it becoming a burden.