It was 6:30am and I was awoken by the phone ringing. My Parents! Something must be wrong - they were the only people that called at that unearthly hour. “Hello?” “ Janey, it’s me, your Mother. Where … [Read more...]

"September: it was the most beautiful of words, he’d always felt, evoking orange-flowers, swallows, and regret." -   Alexander Theroux, 1981 Yesterday, the 23rd September, was the equinox - the … [Read more...]

Jane, I've got a big favour to ask you . . ." "Yes-es" - I have learnt over the years not to agree prematurely. "We are going away as a family next month so there is no-one to look after Dylan." Oh, I … [Read more...]

After surviving eight years at the bottom of the pecking order in the middle of my large family, my pet parrot was moved into the relative quiet of my new husband's and my flat. I continued to play … [Read more...]

Unbelievably Polly suffered no ill-effects from spending a fortnight at sea followed by four days on a train. When we reached our new home her cage was placed next to a wooden bookcase in the main … [Read more...]