Maybe it’s because the clocks are going forward and I’m anticipating the arrival of summer already, but this last couple of days I’ve been having something of a spring clean. The house is tidier, the hoover’s been pressed into action, the shorts have been retrieved from the back of the drawer I threw them into in October, and I’ve been out in the garden, potting plants and weeding. No, Keir, it’s not something the neighbours have complained about.
I love this time of year. Things spring back into life, and I’m including myself in that. I thrive on the increase in light and the longer days. This week, my thriving was boosted by a gig in Ludlow, supporting Hollie McNish in her sell-out show at the Assembly Rooms. Hollie’s a magnificent performer – warm, engaging, and very funny – and if you get the chance to see her on tour, I suggest you grab it with both hands.
I can’t think of many better ways to spend an evening than reading my poems to over two hundred people, selling almost all the books I’d brought with me, and then settling down to watch a headline poet at the top of their game. And all on my birthday. Thanks, Ludlow. You were great. Now, roll on summer.