In July 2021, South Africa was shocked by an attempted insurrection which saw a weekend of violence, looting and malicious damage in the north east of the country.  Shopping malls were in flames.  Motorways blockaded.  Oil refineries attacked.  The country was on a knife edge.  Were we on the verge of civil war?  Were mobs […]

Days after moving into a retirement home, my Grandmama demanded to be moved to a single-person dining table that faced the wall.  Asked why, she said the sight of all the old people was putting her off her food. Telling my Mother about it, the centre manager looked apologetic and said Grandmama just needed time […]

You find me in a state of turmoil.  I’ve made the most wonderful discovery.  My life has been revolutionised … a lifelong problem solved.  But I’m also devastated.  I feel as though every woman I’ve ever known has let me down … at least those who knew but couldn’t be arsed to tell me about […]

I’ve recently done a course on ‘menopause and beyond’, about how to not only survive but thrive after menopause. I’m a fitness instructor and I liked the idea of offering the course to my older clients. Until I reached the module called ‘know your vulva’… I haven’t had children so my body has never been […]

I’ve just returned from my cousin Ed’s wedding. It was lovely. They said it would be a no-stress, friends-only, casual do, and it was. The bride was beautiful in a pretty Indian cotton print. Ed was Ed – in immaculately pressed white shorts, white polo shirt, ankle socks and trainers. That’s how he’s comfortable and […]

Friday started off with a surprising email from my doctor. Contrary to expectations, I wasn’t in the grip of a deadly tropical disease or about to die of an over-active imagination. Apparently the blood extracted at some cost on Wednesday revealed that I was deficient in all the B vitamins and testosterone. So that was […]

One of the early Big Surprises in getting to know the man who would become The Best Husband In The World was to learn that he loved ballet. I received the news with a touch of disbelief. Was this for real? Could this large, bearded, beer-swilling, football fanatic really love something as delicate and … […]