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Curiosity killed the catnap
I confess that when the idea of lockdowns first arose I felt a frisson of excitement. In my mind’s eye, I saw mornings spent diligently tapping away at my computer, writing astonishing works of...
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The Conran effect
It was poignant to read this morning of the death of Terence Conran. It made me reflect on how much he shaped the way I look at design. (Read The Guardian obituary here) In the early 1970s, living in...
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The seventh of October
Ten years ago today, the phone rang and a quiet woman’s voice said, ‘I’m afraid I’ve got a bit of bad news – your mother died at 5:15 this morning.’ I’ll never forget that. A bit of bad news? How is...
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Circling Japan again
We may be in the full flush of spring in Sydney but my mind keeps thinking of autumn in the northern hemisphere. It’s hard-wired into my British bones, I suspect, and comes with an expectation of...
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Look at it this way
This year, most of us have become much more familiar with our direct surroundings. For a while I stopped walking by the sea because the path was too busy and so I walked instead along the quieter...
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All about eve
There’s something beguiling about eves. As in the evening before, not people called Eve. New Year’s Eve, Passover Eve, ‘twas the eve before battle, that kind of eve. I like the energy of them, being...
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Messing about in boats
Railway stations and airports are all well and good but nothing really compares to arriving somewhere by boat. It’s intrinsically romantic, the slow pace of it, as the destination comes gently into...
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Circling Japan again
We may be in the full flush of spring in Sydney but my mind keeps thinking of autumn in the northern hemisphere. It’s hard-wired into my British bones, I suspect, and comes with an expectation of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Look at it this way
This year, most of us have become much more familiar with our direct surroundings. For a while I stopped walking by the sea because the path was too busy and so I walked instead along the quieter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
All about eve
There’s something beguiling about eves. As in the evening before, not people called Eve. New Year’s Eve, Passover Eve, ‘twas the eve before battle, that kind of eve. I like the energy of them, being...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Messing about in boats
Railway stations and airports are all well and good but nothing really compares to arriving somewhere by boat. It’s intrinsically romantic, the slow pace of it, as the destination comes gently into...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tuning in
I’m not what you would call an early adopter. In fact, I’m excellent at turning up my nose at certain things only to embrace them much later. Like cargo shorts and the Saab 9-5 wagon, which in the...
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Perchance to dream
What’s your sleep been like this past year? Mine’s been all over the place. I suppose it’s hardly surprising, given that 2020 quickly became all about uncertainty and bracing for the worst, and 2021...
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Looking back to move forward
It took us twenty years to do it but finally we’re here. In late 2001, we took the plunge and bought a lovely old farmhouse in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, an area with deep volcanic...
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Trash and treasure and everything in between
I’m learning that there’s a fine line between something that’s called antique and something else that is definitely junk. We needed some new furniture when we moved to this house and so I set to work...
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No place like it
They say that when life gives you lemons then you should make lemonade. Well, I’ve never made lemonade but I’m certainly a believer in trying to do the best with whatever life presents you. I wonder,...
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The alchemy of renovation
Our plans for the house are progressing. For the couple of months we’ve been here, my mind has swung all over the place as I consider how we might make the house function better. I’ve oscillated...
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Trumpets of spring
Like Proust, we all have our madeleine moments. It’s not only food that takes you back in time. For me, it’s the daffodil. Seeing a daffodil always stirs a whirl of memories. It’s amazing that such a...
View ArticleDesign Icons: Wunderlich
From my regular series of Design Icons written for ABC RN Blueprint. You can find others on my Blueprint page and in Podcasts. Wunderlich was broadcast on 24th July 2021. You can listen to the audio...
View ArticleDesign Icons: Melnikov
From my regular series of Design Icons written for ABC RN Blueprint. You can find others on my Blueprint and Podcasts pages. Melnikov was broadcast on 7th August 2021. You can listen to the audio...
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