And why you don’t have to go walking on the moon to achieve it — In an interview with the presenter Dermot O’Leary, former The Police lead singer and bassist, Sting, says that “song-writing is like fishing. You won’t catch anything unless you turn up with a line”. Now, before some of you remind me (or Sting) that you can also turn up with a…

The column for people who like to swing more than one way… foodwise — When life gives you lemons… make okra white curry. We recently had some okra knocking around my partner’s house and decided to use it in a Sri Lankan recipe that came with my copy of The Observer’s June Food Supplement. Although I’m partial to green beans, there’s something about okra…

The joys of cycle training: local history mixed with pedal-power —

Kent’s oyster paradise welcomes me back — I let the cool water run through my fingers. It’s the same ritual I have enacted for years every time I’m by the sea. Brighton, Sheerness, and today, Whitstable, all know of this whimsical routine. For me, this is always a pilgrimage of sorts. Born and raised by the ocean…

A slice of Italy on a plate — I recently saw the Stanley Tucci series Searching for Italy. In fact, I’ve seen it twice as my partner missed it first time around. …

Not that living hurts, Jacqueline — Jacqueline Simon Gunn got it right. Running is painful. There are no two ways about it. I’ve run four marathons and two half-marathons. I’ve been a runner for most of my adult life, close to thirty years now (or maybe thirty already? I can’t remember). …

When nature speaks, do we listen? — One way of looking at the history of humankind is to divide our presence on this planet into two periods: the period when we were hunter-gatherers and the one after, when we became farmers. And yet, isn’t this human-centred approach part of our current, modern-life-related headaches? The fact that we’re…

Never mind the loo, it’s the burgers you’re here for —

A four-year enquiry and still no justice for the survivors —