As a young adult, when friends stayed at our house for more than a few days it raised real difficulties. The problem was that houseguests obliged me not only to be polite and sociable, but also to forgo some of my everyday and precious routines. Accordingly, it suited me to follow an adage which was,…
Cars and Me – a New Rapport
In the last weeks I have realised that there are things about cars that are important to me, and this must have been the case for years. Until now I have seen my attitude to them as one of general disinterest. As a child I rarely played with toy cars, and later, unlike some of…
Beauty, Tears and Friendship
A few weeks ago, Rohan suggested we go together to Kew Gardens to see a display of blossom of the rarest beauty. Each Spring, the buds on a now celebrated avenue of cherry trees come into flower and Rohan, who had just seen them with a friend wanted to see them again and hoped I…
In Praise of Bus Drivers
Over the last weeks buses have proved a life-saver. The problem has been that walking even short distances has been difficult - it is my right knee this time that is giving me trouble! Despite this difficulty, by knowing the network of bus routes that we have nearby - and there is a choice of…
On Being Invaded by Another Culture
Richmond, our home now for over thirty years, is a lovely place in which to settle, and sharing it with people who have warmed to the environment and adopted it as their home, is a delight and one that gives me both pleasure and stimulation. In any such adoption, most of those living here will…
A Wonderful Year for ‘Strictly’
This year, the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ has been the best ever - in every way a real tonic. I write this knowing that there will be some readers who will be surprised to learn that I am a Strictly fan, indeed, to learn that I have been a regular viewer for the last ten…
The Joe Collier Blog 