JULY
Everything worth chatting about in the month just ended.
This marks the start of a new project, a monthly round-up of my work, other people’s work, and the best things I’ve eaten, drank, seen, and done over the past few weeks. Consider this a perk for being paid subscribers to this newsletter!
July has been a busy month for me, with a lot of different events to visit. I tend to work at home in my office (the spare room) or in the garden (on the bench until I fall asleep) so travelling any distance at all and mingling is an unusual and sometimes frightening experience. But I did it all this month, so you can heap your praise on me for being a good and strong and brave woman.
Things I’ve Written
“The Swan with Two Necks is a sacred place. Literally—over a pint with the local vicar in the early 2000s, landlady Christine Dilworth organised a drop-in for villagers that couldn’t make it to church, who were offered communion in the function room. Pendleton locals happily took advantage of this hallowed opportunity, until the press printed a photo of the vicar outside the pub.”
“My new friend brings my breakfast to me, a pile of fresh, silky avocado barely crushed, on top of crusty bread studded with black olives. A wealthy side salad opens my eyes to new opportunities—a breakfast salad? Why have I never done this before? Everything is doused in greenly-glinting olive oil that tastes like how I imagine gold must taste as it melts on the tongues of gods. I try to savour it, to spend more time in this pocket of serenity, but before I know it my plate is clean, and my coffee is gulped. I have to return to the dirty streets.”