Dirty Harry*

Wake up drenched with sweat but freezing.   “Is that sweat or wee in your bed,” Mum says, at 6.45am or so, when we get up in time for 8.15am Spin. “Sweat, this time,” I say, pulling on my padded-bottomed cycling shorts, fluoro gym top, Mum’s white snow-boots, trousers, scarf, gloves and goat .  “So […]

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 […]