Following my description of my son’s baby-led weaning, Dorinda trumped me with this: “When my grandsons were visiting in March, I was well prepared for young Ewan, and at meal-times I laid a very large tablecloth on the carpet and replaced two of my cream brocade-covered, antique dining chairs with a spare pair that had seen better days.
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Children’s author Jacqueline Wilson, creator of Tracy Beaker, has had a pop at children’s spelling, saying her young overseas fans write more eloquently in English than our resident kids.
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For better or worse, my babies had parent-led weaning inflicted upon them. We liquidised food to a consistent mid-brown and fed it to them on a spoon. So far, they do not appear to have been damaged by the experience.
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When is a job not exactly the job you thought it was? Possibly when you discover a “tactical merchandiser” is a shelf-stacker; similarly a “night replenishment assistant” is not an ad for a vampiric blood donor but um... a shelf-stacker.
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Coronation Street’s Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell, in the snug, with the milk stout... no not the solution to a game of Cluedo but my abiding memory of 1960s’ television drama, one that partially styled my view of older women.
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- Lucky, lucky Lynne
- Youth culture’s got nothing on me. . . I’m in vogue again
- A moving story: If at first you don’t succeed. . . cede
- More on my txt life
- Texting in the 50s
- Wish me the luck of the Irish and a Dublin accent
- Living without chocolate is merely existing (Plato*)
- An abbreviated history of my descent into text speak
- Vampires and Victorians. . . here comes my bestseller
- Shard II: The sequel
- For one day at least, I am the best mum in the world
- Don’t look down. . . visions of vertigo atop the Shard
- Southwark tales
- Sunday lunch – the ultimate expression of Britishness
- This birthday girl is young at heart but in bed by 10pm
- And while we’re on the subject of beefburgers. . .
- Giant slipper among catalogue fantasies
- Would you be wanting tea in your cup of hot water?
- The winter vomiting virus and how to avoid people
- Luck? It’s just pants
- The irresistible attraction of the £9.99 portable loo!
- This Christmas I changed into a monstrous bug...
- Hi fr xmas ta 4 stuff
- A tale of Christmas joy –God bless us, every one
- Bring us the figgy pudding (caution; may contain nuts)
- Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say. . .
- The end of the world is nigh - just time to Hoover
- Mothers’ wisdom on the comedy circuit
- Keep calm and carry on planning for Christmas
- Diss connection
- So, are you a mover and shaker or just a bit shaky?
- Strictly no weighting
- His moustache is growing more quickly than mine
- Mr Zombie and his trophy wife
- I’m certain no-one would suspect I’m a secret agent
- When a change of life is as good as a rest, ooh-arr
- New gain, new pain
- SuperBud in action
- Forsooth: The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore
- There’s nowt wrong with the smell of honest toil
- Fear and loathing – how to approach school exams
- Safely gathered in...
- A singular birth announcement
- Mirror, mirror on the wall am I the fairest one of all?
- Happy birthday, dear (it looks like this is your present)
- ‘Rocket science’ light bulbs still leave me in the dark
- Be afraid, Phelps. . . I have a swimming certificate