- My toes have been cold all week.
- Mum and Dad both got their first covid vaccines on Thursday. Which warmed my heart. But not my toes.
- My nephew William Foy turned 13. For various reasons, we aren’t in touch, which I find incredibly sad. I hope one day soon we can have some adventures again.
- William was born at about the same time that J and I started dating, so I guess also happy 13th anniversary to us!
- Drive and Listen allows you to experience the sights and local radio sounds of driving round a variety of global cities. A trip back to Mumbai was exactly what I needed.
- And talking of Mumbai, was incredibly impressed by the humorous and difficult Behind the Beautiful Forevers, a play which explores the class system and bribery in the inner-city slums of India, on National Theatre at Home this weekend.
- My friend Laura has written a second novel, Daughters of Night, after an incredible first, and I can’t wait to read it.
- Pippa’s critique of It’s a Sin is important, highlighting the lack of depth to Jill’s character and how this speaks to a broader problem in representation of women, women of colour, and carers in LGBTQ drama (and beyond). I hope it reaches and reverberates in the chamber in Russell T Davies’ circle and the Channel 4 commissioning team. It’s certainly provoked some thoughtful debate in the choir Facebook group.
in the character of Jill, we don’t so much get a recognition of care work as an idealisation of it. Jill is always ready, willing and able to help out, even volunteering to clean up after the boys in her house. She never loses her temper and she never asks for anything in return. She barely even gets thanked for all of the work she does. All other characters are allowed to be flawed and selfish, but not Jill.
- Le Fil’s Boyo is absolutely wonderful:
- It’s valentine’s day. Celebrated by cycling to Epping Forest (which is entirely frozen) and accidentally cycled along Valentine Road on the way home. A sign.
- I’ve taken a day off tomorrow. Good.