Nelly's Garden

 It’s not that I dislike Christmas shopping - for what could be nicer than giving someone a gift that pleases them. No, that’s the part I lo...

 Are you feeling Christmassy yet? I can’t say I am. Not properly. But this year, instead of brushing the thought aside the way I usually do,...

  Hannah asked me to go with her to the garden centre; she wanted to buy some houseplants. It’s the first time she’s shown any real interest...

I’m writing this while listening to the brilliant fiddler Colm Mac Con Iomaire, who I had the pleasure of hearing perform at Seamus Heaney H...

 Two little posts from October 2005. Mum was still around then, as was George. Also, where have all the street drinkers gone? They must all ...

 These days it seems I never have enough time to read. What keeps me from it? At night it is the need to sleep; during the day, everything d...

Just over a week ago, Zoë and I travelled to London for Jonny’s funeral. We caught the first flight out of Belfast International to Stansted...