Time, Murderer, Please*

“So, I’m having trouble getting to sleep at the moment,” Seb says when he calls last night.  “I’ve just got so much work to do and I fall asleep but I wake up every hour and…” “Maybe it would be a good idea to get back to boxing and the gym?” I say.  “That will […]

Lloyd George Knew My Father*

“It’s amazing: there are more men here than women,” the septuagenarian lady says to her friend. “I expect that’s because it’s history and politics,” the friend replies. They’re sitting next to me at my ‘Modern British Prime Ministers’ course.  So, if you’re a lady aged over sixty five looking to meet a chap, take a […]

Death In The Clouds*

“It’s Seb,” my brother says, handing me the phone at nine thirty this morning. “Thank you,” I say to my brother. “Hello my darling,” I say to Seb. “Hello my love,” Seb says.  “I’m afraid you have an idiot for a boyfriend.  I’ve missed my flight.” “Oh no.  What happened?” I say.  Maybe he had […]

Blood In The Tiber*

“If it can go wrong, it will,” Mum says.  Or maybe one of her friends does.  Brought up in the 1950s, by superstitious mothers, Mum and her chums were raised on such mantras as: “Don’t wear green: it’s bad luck,” and “don’t tempt fate,” and “you must wear an amulet to ward off the evil […]

Marooned In Realtime*

“How are you getting on my darling?” The message comes through from Seb at 11.28am this morning. “Yeah, great.  Just packing. What’s the weekend weather forecast in your land?” I say. “It’s really nice at the moment but I think it’s going to change later.  What time do you think you’ll arrive here?” He says. […]

I’m Not Scared*

“I’m going to take my suitcase out and put it on the floor,” I say to Mum on the phone this morning. “Don’t make the mistake of packing though,” Mum says.  “I’ve done that in the past, and you just forget what you’ve packed.  Tell you what: why don’t you set your clothes out on […]

The Dinosaur Feather*

What am I going to do, I think.  Am allergic to feathers and it is possible, even probable, that Seb has feather bedding.  All day I worry about this. “Well then you must take your own bedding in a wheely suitcase,” a friend says.  And would, if was going there and back in car.  But […]

Inside The Whale*

“What would you like to listen to?” The radiology nurse asks.  If that’s what she is: this pretty girl in a white coat, mid-twenties, long sleek hair. “What is there?” I say.  “It’s cold in here.”  Cold air blows to keep the MRI machine at its optimum temperature. “Adele, Michael Buble or Beethoven,” she says. […]

The Murderous Loo

Tired.  Exhausted.  Didn’t have a late night or maybe did a bit – was packing black Vivienne Westwood dress to wear for the party and birthday present for my chum.  Now have to meet a friend for lunch: lets see how much can write in the ten minutes before she arrives… Things to talk about at […]

Letter From An Unknown Woman*

There’s a chap who’s about my age gazing at a notice board at Jewish Book Week just outside the talk I’m queuing for.  It’s 12.30pm.  Mum’s at the bar so am free to stare at him for a bit.  He’s about 6 foot 2, has shaggy dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He’s wearing taupe […]