When I was out jogging around my Airbnb in the south of Spain a day or two ago, or maybe when I was attempting a careful post-run stretch thanks to Peloton's app, I managed to pull a muscle. At least, something jangled out of position in my upper right back and decided to be uncooperative … Continue reading The Two Sleeps Theory
Two Days in Glasgow
Last weekend saw me toddling over to Glasgow to see Strictly the Show with me old chum, Lynsey. Little did I realise when I was booking that my arrival a day ahead of schedule would see me spend Brexit day in a wee hotel off George Square in the centre of Glasgow. The day started … Continue reading Two Days in Glasgow
Strictly Brexit?
Strictly Brexit & the Power of Future Nostalgia On the day that the UK leaves the EU, I find myself in Belfast City Airport on the way to Glasgow to meet my friend Lynsey and to see the Strictly stage show. As I was bouncing through duty free, who do I spot trying on all … Continue reading Strictly Brexit?
Five Days in Rome (Day 5)
[Shortcut to the poem mentioned in this blog: Border Butter] This blog is part of a short series documenting 5 days of activities at the British School at Rome, supported by my funders, Northern Bridge DTP. If you’ve missed out so far, try out details from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 or Day 4! And so … Continue reading Five Days in Rome (Day 5)
Border Butter: A Poem by Patrick Hughes
If you were reading my blog about Rome (see Day 5 here), you may have seen mention of my poem, Border Butter. I wrote it about the murder of our Great Aunt, Margaret Moore. It's a story I've never not known, something deep in our fabric and that of our community, how Margaret and her … Continue reading Border Butter: A Poem by Patrick Hughes
Five Days in Rome (Day 3)
This is Day 3 of five days visiting Rome for the Northern Bridge Winter School. I'm very lucky that Northern Bridge provides me with funding that means I can do a PhD. I'm in year one of that. Along with about 14 colleagues, we are at the British College in Rome. If you missed … Continue reading Five Days in Rome (Day 3)
Five Days in Rome (Day 2)
This is the second of 5 short blogs describing my visit to Rome as part of the Northern Bridge Winter School. If you'd like to start with Day 1, click here... Day 2 (Tuesday) dawned with a sky full of colours behind the screen window. I was so tired, I woke really early again, but with so … Continue reading Five Days in Rome (Day 2)
The Everydayness of Living to Work…
Living to Work, Working to Live... I'm unsure who coined that pithy phrase but it captures, in its own imperfect way, the dilemma many of us feel about the position of work in our lives; lives for which we have high expectations which 'work', most often, defies with its very everydayness. The very suggestion of … Continue reading The Everydayness of Living to Work…
Culture: Ulster American (Play) at Adelaide Festival
When you're new to a place, you make some schoolboy (or schoolgirl) errors. Mainly schoolboy. Misreading Google Maps is one of those problems. When you want to walk somewhere and switch it on, even though the little torch icon points you in (allegedly) the right direction, I have to set off in a direction before … Continue reading Culture: Ulster American (Play) at Adelaide Festival
Drinks: Hains & Co, Adelaide
Here's a quickie post! Just before meeting my old chum, Toby, on our visit to Apothecary in Adelaide, we arranged to meet up for a beveranda at a hip and happening bar in a formerly unattractive quarter of Adelaide, made over for the purpose. I was a bit early and got chatting to the bar … Continue reading Drinks: Hains & Co, Adelaide