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How to make ….

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Sunday 5 April 2026

Easter Sunday 2026; it heralds such a fest of fine films on the TV: Toy Story 3, The Imitation game, ET, Hot Fuzz .. that I can hardly fit them all in. And, as I am blubbling my way through the final scenes of Spielberg’s iconic little alien parting with his human friends, I wonder if I am ever going to find a truly memorable movie this year.

Yes, my New Year’s quest to see at least one new cinematic offering every month, has been fun but I am yet to uncover any real treasures and March’s choice, ‘How to make a killing’ does little to address this.

I did really look forward to this one. Our protagonist, Becket, stuck in a dead-end sales job and estranged from his obscenely wealthy family, hatches a deadly plot to kill off the other heirs to the family fortune, take the money for himself and gain the respect of femme fatale Julia. The trailer hinted at deliciously dark, slick and stylish. In reality, I find this movie lack-lustre and bland. It is hard to remember a memorable acting performance, a noteworthy character or a standout moment. No, if I had to sum up ‘How to make a Killing’ I would describe it as ‘100 minutes of silliness.’

So come on film makers of 2026, perhaps take a leaf of of my book and treat yourself to some past classics. Then maybe, just maybe, you’ll remember not how to make a killing but how to make a great movie…

Smashing single parenthood: writing prompt

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What’s something most people don’t understand?

Does anyone understand why Donald Trump has to open his mouth and speak every day?

Theories? There will be plenty.

Is he just a narcissist?

Or, is it a careful strategy to make so much noise and confusion that he hides, in plain sight, his main issues and goals?

Or, does he just have to think aloud and share every thought that pops into his head.

Or….

What are your thoughts?

(Plus, as he professes to be a Christian and Godly appointed… could we maybe persuade him to ‘give up press conferences’ for Lent next year?)

February Birthdays 2026

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21 February 2026

Are all the best people born in February?

For this shortest of months, a quick google search reveals an impressive roll call of famous figures with birthdays in the second calendar month. To pick out just a few: Rosa Parks, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronald Reagan, Bob Marley, Jennifer Aniston, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, Michael Jordan, Ed Sheeran, John Travolta, Toni Morrison, Millie Bobby Brown, Rihanna, George Washington, Drew Barrymore, Steve Jobs, Fats Domino …

Just a few? Blimey!

But hang on there a minute…I think there’s room for three more on that list! Yes, two of my lovely offspring, Small Boy and My Eldest have February birthdays and so do I! And this year we celebrate in culinary style.

A midweek road-trip to the South West, brings my Eldest and I to Brown’s Brasserie, for a birthday feast with Smallboy. It is February-fabulous. We set off with starters and mains but then, emboldened by the wine and also just to prolong the deliciousness, we go all in with a cheese board too.

A week later I am back in the NorthWest, where for my birthday, I am treated to an amazing dinner for two at a local treasure, The Pearl. Described by the Good Food Guide as ‘A tiny restaurant with a big heart’, this one is also a taste sensation. I think my actual words to the waitress were ‘off the scale of scrumptiousness’. Featuring top quality ingredients and ethical sourcing, each course is incredible, but I have to give a special shout out for the ‘mushroom parfait’, a starter so unbelievably good, I almost didn’t want to order a main. Almost being the key word; in reality we abandon our plan to go for the two course menu, opt instead for three and, once again are ‘all in’, sharing puds and cheeseboards! I blame the chef; the food is just too good!

So are all the best people born in February? I am not sure but it as definitely been a month when I have eaten the best of food and and kept some of the best company . And who can ask for better than that!

Wuthering Heights

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Sunday 15 February 2026

On a damp and gloomy Sunday morning, I drive out to a local cinema to see film number two of 2026. My choice ‘Wuthering Heights‘, a movie based upon Emily Bronte’s infamous and intense novel.

We grab a coffee on the way in, to wake up and ward off the the wintry chills. My friend is grim faced.

“Have you seen the reviews?” she asks arching her eyebrows.

Then dropping her voice to a whisper,

“One even described it as Baroque porn!”

Yikes! Have made a huge mistake?!But we are here now and … at the very least, it sounds livelier than ‘Hamnet’! So in we go, juggling our drinks and snacks.

And I really enjoy the film.

So is it exactly like the book?

No! But come on people; this is the big screen and a new piece of story telling that has to fit coherently into a 2 hour slot.

Is it a relentless hot bed of steamy sex and naughtiness?

Well there are a few moments when we nearly drop our popcorn, but,for the most part, it is no saucier than many other movies.

So what is it that I love so much about my February film choice? Well, whilst the producers undoubtedly adapt and alter some of Bronte’s more minor characters as well as plot lines, what this movie does brilliantly capture is the  all-consuming, destructive passion between Heathcliff and Cathy on those desolate Yorkshire moors. And, for many of us, who read and love the original book, this is the central theme. Raw, romantic, compelling  and ultimately… devastating.

The soundtrack adds emotional layers and, of course, the moors provide the perfect backdrop. Wild, untamed and uncontrollable, reflecting the moods and desires of our two main characters. This film delights the senses.

So, for two hours, I forget the dreary day outside and lose myself in this great story and when we finally emerge back into the carpark, do you know what I see the damp drizzle through completely new eyes. Suddenly the misty and overcast skies of this Bolton morning look atmospheric and evocative… hinting of brooding desires and forbidden passions and …. and then I see the queue to get out of the carpark and come crashing back to reality!

That is until next month! If I ever get out of here and get home, it is straight off to research next month’s movie …

Has anyone seen my ‘trio of teens’?

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Thursday 12 February 2026

And this is the month and this is the year that Smallboy turns 20!

Eek – how did that happen?

One moment I was careering through life with my ‘trio of teens‘, in a house full of exam angst, assorted friends, lots of Netflix and even more ironing! Then, in what now feels like the blink of an eye, my youngest child steps into his twenties and the teen-years are over.

As the momentous Birthday dawns however, it appears that for Smallboy at least, 20 is simply one year further on than 19. I give him a call and he excitedly tell me that my card made him ‘chuckle’, that he ‘loves‘ his gift of a Man U shirt, (because until Jim Radcliffe opened his big mouth, we were actually enjoying being ‘Reds‘ again.) He ‘loves’ the deposit of cash in his bank account even more. And, because my boy knows how to please his old mum, he tells me that, above all, he is really looking forward to my visit next week.

And I am looking forward to it too. I resolve to follow the lead of my youngest child, treat age as ‘just another number’ and to carry on enjoying the company of lovely adult children who are clever and kind, good hearted and good company. (And if I am ever wondering where my ‘trio of teens’ have gone, I need look no further than my blog where their antics are immortalised in my past posts!)

I fill a glass of wine, put up my feet and start to get excited about a fun city break next week.

New Year’s Resolution 2026

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Wednesday 28 January 2026

Now that I’ve finally caught up on Christmas, it is time to move onto New Year… and resolutions!

I’ve got a cracker of a resolution for 2026; I resolve to go out to the cinema to see a new film at least once a month!

Come on people, as annual goals go, this one is genius! Get’s us out of the house, broadens the mind, it’s fun, it’s fascinating… hey it even supports the local  economy!

The inspiration comes on 31 December, where I am seeing in the new year with friends in The Lake District. We escape the wintry,  afternoon chills at a charming cinema in Ambleside, with beers, comfy seats, and the thrills of  ‘The Housemaid’. And, although I am often watching from behind my coat (this movie is tense!), I really enjoy myself and am reminded how much I love the big screen experience. No phones, no distractions, just the chance to lose  yourself in a world of fantasy, escapism, characters and plots. And in that moment, my resolution is made!

With true resolutionary zeal, upon my return, we kick off January with two tickets for Oscar nominated ‘Hamnet’… so  what was my verdicton this much lauded movie offering?

To be honest, having heard such rave reviews, I was a little disappointed. I’d settle on ‘good but not great’. There are some intense moments, I was mesmerised by much of the woodland cinematography and the ending is almost chokingly unbearable. But for large parts of the film, I found the plot somewhat empty and disjointed, with several story lines that dwindle rather than develop. Crucially, Hamnet fails to fully engage my emotions, which I really wasn’t expecting. Quite the opposite in fact; I had settled into the cushioned chairs, with a pint of Poretti, expecting to be drawn in from the start and to love it all.

Perhaps every year there’s at least one movie that seemingly everyone but me thinks is a masterpiece… maybe a simple difference of opinion or maybe I’ve just missed something?

Regardless, I’ve launched my movie adventures for 2026 and am already devouring Rotten Tomato reviews looking for February’s pick…

How long ago was Christmas?

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Saturday 22 January 2026

Is this really my first post of 2026?

It is true that January has been hectic but now that I have found a 10 minute space to get my thoughts together, lets take a breath and look back… at Christmas….

When I started blogging, I lived, as the only adult, in a home of three teenagers, occasional guinea pigs, goldfish and even a gecko. I was ‘Mum’… single-Mum… the provider of all festive cheer; Christmas decs, Christmas trees, Christmas food and … and the biggest challenge for any parental combination ….presents!

Oh my goodness, scrambling together the money for them from a stretched family budget, scouring the shops and internet sites to find them and then, in a chilled panic on Christmas Eve, when shops are now shut and all options are gone, wrapping and … counting them.

“Counting them?” I hear you cry.

Yes, you hear me correctly. I had three teens. If those three pillow-cases of gifts did not contain exactly the same number of parcels, filling the same volume of space and appearing to reflect the same monetary value… then you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Ha ha ha … a lounge scene more akin to a tense gathering at the UN than wholesome John Lewis advert.

But that was then. Roll the clock forward six or seven years and things are a lot more relaxed. Two of my offspring are now earners and when I come down on Christmas morning, I find that my own pile of presents is a large as anyone else’s. And they are such lovely thoughtful gifts that I am quite overcome. And these are my three favourites: a new Kindle, because mine went on a trip to Kathmandu a year ago and did not return, a new washbag, because someone noticed that on a recent trip to Brussels I had my toiletries in a plastic bag and then… from my son a piece of music.

But not just any piece of music. No, this is the beautifully printed notes for Elevazione! And back in 2022, the first item on ‘My Bucket List’  was  this:

‘Learn to play the oboe part of Elevazione: Domenico Zipoli“

I have looked and looked for it but it is Smallboy who has, not only found the parts but has also gone one astonishing step further. My amazing boy has used the string accompaniment parts to arrange his own piano part. (The girls tell me later that this has taken him weeks to do!)

“So we can play the piece together Mum!”

It takes my breath away… I am lost for words.

And today, as 2026 is close to reaching its second month, I love that I have found time to look back and mark these precious moments in a blog post. Maybe all the Christmas-stress of the teen years and worrying about keeping everyone else happy was just paving the way for these calmer times … and the days when I would feel like the one appreciated and thought about? Or, maybe I just got lucky and was given three wonderful kids…

‘Our treat mum!’

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Tuesday 23 December 2025

Well knock me down with a feather, you will not believe what happened this evening…

I have children back in residence. All three are currently here and, in many ways, it feels like a regression back to the teen years. Everyone but me having a lie-in. Mostly just me cleaning the house, grappling with shopping bags and deciding what we are all going to eat. And… the squabbling, oh my goodness the squabbling….get me out of here!

And so, this evening, as Prom Dress daughter finally finishes work, I suggest that we all do exactly that! Get on our glad-rags, leap in the car and celebrate with tea at a local restaurant.

It goes down a treat.

I drive, drop off the offspring and then go to park. By the time I’ve navigated to a space in the local multi-storey and trekked back to our eatery of choice, they have ordered themselves cocktails and all is relaxed and happy. We have a lovely evening, but the seismic shock comes when we summons the bill….

Before I can even start looking for my purse, the bill is whisked out of my hands, and I hear the phrase,

“No, mum, this is our treat!“

Err, what’s that you say? Did I hear right? Oh my goodness; I am momentarily lost for words …this is an absolute first!

Naturally, I pull myself together to convey effusive thanks because I am completely bowled over by this. After so many years of paying for everyone and everything, this feels like quite a moment.It feels incredible. It needs to be marked. It must be recorded and remembered.

And so it is that I give it a blog post of its own..

The Christie Garden of Hope

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Friday 19 December 2025

It is the last Friday before Christmas, which in these parts mean it’s ‘Mad Friday’! And, as I meet a friend for festive drinks, the city centre is certainly starting to liven up.

In the steamy Christmas Market cabins, glasses of Gluhwein and tankards of beer lubricate the larynxes for many a rowdy rendition of ‘Last Christmas, I gave you my heart…‘ and ‘… the boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay...’. Other bars are equally a-buzz of business and many shops are cashing in on a flurry of late night shoppers.

But then we turn a corner…into Manchester’s St John’s Gardens on Lower Byrom Street.

All is suddenly calm, gentle classical music floats in the air and a magical sight lies before us. A sea of illuminated roses, most white and some blue, cluster together and cover the gardens in every direction. We appear to have stumbled across somewhere very special; it is just stunning and completely stops us in our tracks.

What is this place?

We learn that it is The Christie Charity Garden of Hope, a beautiful immersive light installation made up of hundreds of pre-lit white roses — each one displaying a message of love and hope dedicated to someone special.

Its aim is to raise vital funds for The Christie Charity, supporting their lifesaving and life-changing work for people affected by cancer and, what a beautiful way to do this, creating a collective tribute of light and love to brighten the festive season. We take a while to wander, reflect and, for now, be thankful.

As we leave this perfect space, it is quickly back into the hurly burly of Mad Friday and I enjoy this too! But it is the peace and beauty of the Garden of Hope, that stays with me long after our final drink is poured and a last chorus of ‘Fairy Tale of New York‘ is sung…..

A boozy cream tea for Christmas!

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Thursday 18 December 2025

What a top treat; an afternoon of cocktails, cream tea and too much red wine with my bestie…this was just what the doctor ordered!

Okay, well probably not the first piece of advice any responsible medical professional would give but, nonetheless this was very much needed. Let me elaborate…

I currently find myself juggling one full time job and three side-hustles. It’s a long story of navigating a new-ish world of work, after steadier school jobs for 30+ years, saying ‘yes‘ to too many offers and in such a higgledy-piggledy order that I am in gainful employ six days a week. I really love most of it …but six days out of seven is relentless.

Mix in some festive concerts, which I’ve sandwiched into the few gaps on my calendar and it is safe to say that a week out from Christmas, I am done!

So, I book an afternoon off, call my bestie to arrange our annual ‘cream tea’ and set out to let my hair down and forget about responsibilities for a few hours. And it is fabulous: incredible cocktails, sumptuous red wine and the sort of terrific conversations you can only have with a pal whose known you for 5 decades and is every bit as tipsy as your are.

A marvellous re-charge of the batteries and the perfect curtain raiser to the holidays. I now feel fully in the mood for seasonal frivolities. So, as afternoon melts into evening, join us in a final toast to friendship, to festivities and to finding your way in new jobs and challenges ….