Maddie Grigg

I haven’t blogged in a month of Sundays and I’m sorry about that. But not half as sorry as all those racist idiots should be for spreading their hate on social media after England lost on penalties to Italy in the Euros final last night. They do not speak for me. Thugs. I’m not a…… Continue reading After the match

A year ago today, I had a short slot on Radio 4’s special lockdown edition of Desert Island Discs. In between many sad, sad stories, there was me talking about The Sound of Music Through the Square Window, a song a day in the first lockdown. I played music every day during the second lockdown…… Continue reading Songs for the pandemic

After days of hard rain, it was almost as if nature knew something was up. This morning, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and blackbirds were sweetly singing, almost louder than usual. Although, looking out of the window now, it appears the clouds are massing again in force. I hope that’s not allegorical.…… Continue reading The dawning of a new era

An orderly queue is forming at the medical centre. It’s time for my second jab. We’re ushered into the car park by a close friend’s husband, who asks ‘Vaccination?’ in the same manner as Michael Palin in the role of the kindly centurion in Life of Brian. I stand behind the woman who runs the…… Continue reading Rolling up my sleeve

Since lockdown lifted, there are more cars on the country lanes, particularly now that staycations in the UK are being positively encouraged. I don’t know if those of you living in rural areas have noticed but it seems many of the drivers have forgotten how to drive. They charge through in Chelsea tractors and the…… Continue reading Driving on the edge

I was more upset than I realised at the sudden death last week of Les McKeown from the Bay City Rollers. I used to have a pair of tartan-trimmed, white trousers, worn at half mast over striped socks. I remember lending a spare pair of socks to a classmate on a school trip to watch…… Continue reading Remember

Spring is in the air. And the air feels good. Gosh, haven’t we been lucky here in the south west of England this Easter? It’s a blue sky today, windy as anything and rather cold. But yesterday, on Easter Sunday, the wind dropped and there was so much blue sky you could have opened a…… Continue reading Happy Easter

Roger McGough is on Cerys Matthews’ show this morning, as a working party put its collective back into work on the village green, tidying, clearing and sprucing. Mr Brogue Boots and The Angel of the North are digging over verges and planting wild flower seeds along the village edges. Up in the church, open for…… Continue reading Springing forward

Line of Duty (BBC 1) When shall we three meet again? On Sunday nights at nine o’clock, that’s when. The-long awaited sixth series of Line of Duty dropped into our lockdown laps on Sunday night, with millions of viewers glued to their TV sets for early clues in a story that looks set to be…… Continue reading What’s on the telly?

A new dawn is coming. Or is it a sunset? A year ago this evening, Boris Johnson announced the country was going into lockdown. And nothing has been the same ever since. I remember vividly, twelve months ago, walking down from Bluebell Hill feeling like I was starring in my very own dystopian fantasy. I…… Continue reading A year on in a hopeful English apocalypse