The tourists are gone — time for the locals to play — Contrary to popular belief, Cornwall does not close for the autumn and winter months. For those of us who live here, autumn can be the best time of year although some prefer early spring before the tourists arrive. It remains warm for some time, and there is plenty to see…

So I looked at what has happened since 2009… — In a recent interview, James Cameron (director of Avatar and it’s long-awaited sequel The Way of Water) said exactly what everyone has been thinking since the first film came out in 2009. He’s “worried it might have been a bit too long.” And he’s right though. Since the last one…

And some are in danger of extinction — It’s European Language Day on the 26th September and so I did some digging around for ̶p̶r̶o̶c̶r̶a̶s̶t̶i̶n̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ research. I knew there were a lot of languages spoken here but I must admit that number is a lot larger than I initially suspected. I was also surprised to learn which language…

Why don’t you sell [thing you make as a hobby] and make money from it? Well… — When anyone says the subheading comment, I die a little inside. I know how hard the conversation is going to be and I know that at the end they will still not get it — though whether that is a genuine failure to grasp it or a refusal to understand…

It really is one of life’s pleasures — I wasn’t always confident in the kitchen. Until I went to uni I tended to stick with a couple of quite basic recipes — usually involving boiling pasta and throwing a jar of sauce over the top then topping it with grated cheese. Or toasties (grilled sandwich for the Americans). …

It’s to do with the history of the name — Last week, Queen Elizabeth II who had been queen since before my parents were born, passed away. Although the coronation of her eldest son Charles will not take place until summer 2023, the crown passed immediately to him. None of this surprised anybody — it’s what tradition dictated. What did…

In an age of prequels, prequel-sequels and sequels to prequels that remain prequels it’s important to get it right — In the last few years, there has been Philip Pullman’s The Book of Dust (a His Dark Materials prequel), Alien Covenant (a sequel to a prequel to Alien). These two works got me thinking a lot about what makes a good prequel. The current prequels on everyone’s lips in 2022…

Go on, treat yourself — While spring is my favourite season generally — I love the energy in the air, the blossom, the bees, the warm weather, the lengthening days, and the general chill that comes before the hottest weather ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶u̶r̶i̶s̶t̶s̶. But when it comes to food, my favourite season is autumn. I don’t…

The worst Prime Minister in living memory still has a trick or two up his carefully messed sleeves — As part of his outgoing speech, Boris Johnson addressed the cost-of-living crisis. True to form though, it was yet another gaffe — this time about how households ought to consider buying a new energy efficient kettle. This may seem sensible on first look. After all, if your kettle is twenty…