All articles filed in Julia

During the winter lockdown (the one before Christmas – remember that?), I took a six-week course in biography writing with City Lit. Professor Robert Fraser and my classmates were inspirational and encouraging (I hope I also provided some useful comments for their projects) and I often miss it and wish it could have continued indefinitely…

I planned to update this blog once a week but have lapsed already. The weather has been so unpredictable; I’ve had a few horrible hayfever attacks and summer is feeling like bit of a non-event. My ideal summer would be 20C, sunshine, a gentle breeze and the odd rainy day for the good of the…

The Fashion and Textiles Museum, Bermondsey, is an unusual place. It doesn’t have a permanent collection and solely showcases temporary exhibitions. My experience of these exhibitions has been hit and miss: I’m still annoyed about the Orla Kiely exhibition, which was nothing more than advertising and a complete rip-off, but I enjoyed the one on…

A bit of silliness to celebrate getting this site (more or less) up and running. I’m not a natural at website building or self promotion and I’m grateful for the encouragement and constructive feedback I’ve received. This summer so far feels similar to the situation we were in last year but with one key difference…

At the northern end of the Victoria Line is a slice of Victorian heaven and one of the best small museums I know. William Morris spent his formative years in Walthamstow and his surviving childhood home in the area harks back to when Walthamstow was surrounded by parkland and countryside. The Gallery, administered by Waltham Forest Council, contains…

I bloody love The Pursuit of Love. I’ve read it every few years since I was an early teen and know passages off by heart. It’s a perfect soufflé that has much more going on than might be assumed at first glance; moments of utter devastation sneak up on you, just as airy-fairy Aunt Sadie will…