Life’s a mess. Let’s laugh about it together.

There are many things that quietly determine whether an office runs smoothly. Strategy. Leadership. Culture. Shared purpose.... and Forks. Specifically, the complete and utter absence of them. In one of my previous workplaces, we had enough forks. Life was stable. Lunches were eaten with dignity. Then the pandemic arrived and our once fully stocked kitchen transformed into what can only be described as a Year 9 camp facility. All communal cutlery and crockery vanished overnig

Many of you reading this either work in an office or have a friend who does and has mentioned “hot desking” at least once, usually with a tone that suggests it’s both progressive and mildly inconvenient. For anyone fortunate enough to have avoided it, hot desking is when you don’t have a permanent desk. You check in, scan the floor and try to “bags” a seat before someone else does. Ideally before you even leave the house. Otherwise you arrive late and end up hovering awkwardl

I was coming out of a show at the Opera House the other night, Now You See Me , which was bloody brilliant. The kind of show that makes you walk out feeling slightly superior, like you’ve just absorbed culture and talent by osmosis. Then I hit the pavement and immediately returned to reality, right there between the Opera House and Circular Quay. Reality, in this case, looked like a parade of camera-holding devices. Not cameras. Not even people holding phones like normal huma

Why Every Car Should Come with Dodgem Bumpers, Multi-Tone Horns, and a Wind-Out Hand with Attitude The Need for Dodgem Bumpers If driving were a test of patience, I’d fail before I even got the keys out of the fruit bowl. Not because I’m a reckless driver, I use indicators, check my mirrors, and have only reversed into one wheelie bin in the last three years, but being on the road brings out a very specific type of rage that only other drivers truly understand. There’s just s

I was at a work conference recently, and something caught my eye. It was not unique to this conference. It happens anywhere with a designated dance floor. Nightclubs, weddings, pubs with questionable carpet, even cruise ships. Every venue with a dance floor has the same strange phenomenon. The dance floor sits there like a shiny rectangle of possibility. It does not matter if it is in the middle of the room, tucked in a corner, or awkwardly near the buffet table. It is the on

Honestly, if there were medals for losing school hats, lunchboxes, drink bottles, jumpers, you name it, my boys would be standing on that...

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where...

There are two types of people in this world: those who change the toilet paper roll… and the rest of you. To the latter group, I have...

Privacy? I vaguely remember her. She was once a constant companion, but now, she’s more like an old friend who moved overseas and forgot...

Every dog owner has their own secret (or not-so-secret) quirks when it comes to their pets. Some let their dogs sleep in their beds, some...

They say getting older is a privilege. They say it’s full of wisdom, self-acceptance, and an appreciation for the little things. What...

Primark.... a world all its own... go in if you dare! Primark is an overall 'unique' experience. But just like anything talked about enough; like a movie that got a bad film review - you think ‘I just must see it'.  That was why I went. Oh and of course because I know of no other place to buy flat work shoes for £3.46!  When I arrived to London, I met a few local Aussies who had been here for a while. I asked for their top tips or hints to London. Most said, "get an oyster ca

Significant numbers of intelligent people catch planes every day. Some of the most sophisticated minds I know are frequent flyers....

I grew up with seat belts. With rules. Believing in them unequivocally. Or be prepared for disapproving looks or a strong conversation from my parents.   I rarely dance in the face of the rules. I am not crazy or fearless. I am not reckless and fancy free. I'm organised, planned, dictated by routine and unfashionably ok with it.   I have tried to live free and crazy, rule-less. But even in those times I still had some routine.   It may have eaten fried chicken and corn and ha

I recently started a new job where they had adopted a new approach to their workplace, a new philosophy - an agile ambition.   During my interview the ‘agile workplace’  was mentioned in passing but also in a way that made it sound razzle dazzle, modern, innovative - the must have workspace design concept for the hip and chic workforce. I was hip and chic - it must be for me!   So, while ensuring the role was the right role for me, I spent no further time thinking about the o

Don't grow up!   Do you know that you are called an  adult  for more time in your life than any other name – well, other than your own name of course.   You are a child for about 11 years, adolescent for 8 years, elderly for about 10 years (or longer if you are lucky enough) and an adult all the time in between.   That label 'adult' comes with so much responsibility and expectation. When you are an adult, you get a full-time job. When you are an adult, you buy assets, so you

At the age of 33 I have read a number of books, magazines, newspaper articles, letters, legislation and maps. Yet that damn parking sign makes me wonder if I really do know how to read English.   I stand looking perplexed at the sign, is it a clear way? Or do I need to pay the meter? Or just drive along to a side street without any confusing parking signs to confuse me?   Why didn't I just catch a train?! I imagine what I look like to passes by; neck stretched out across the

Tips and Hints to catching a bus in London Who would think that there is art to catching a bus, but in London there is. You may think standing at a bus stop is enough, it isn't.  In London buses are unique. Not just in colour, shape and size. But on the tricks you need to master to ensure you get on board.  For all those about to come to London or those still at their bus stop waiting to finally get on the bus they need I will give you a few inside tips. 1.  The stop is not a

I recently had a conversation with my boyfriend’s mother who told me how she saw the cutest piglets on tv, and they were someone's pet. I questioned, "did you mean a zookeeper of some kind was looking after these abandoned animals', "no, they are bred to be pets, isn’t that great”!  What has happened? When did we invite our food to "come dine with me?" Can this couple ever eat crackle again knowing they could be sizzling babe's cousin? Or maybe they are vegans, which would ex

Like other women across London and Greater London I catch public transport most days of the week. I catch trains, tubes and buses to get in and out of work daily, or to meet with friends on a Saturday night out. Like others who catch public transport I can be in a hurry, or unsure where I need to go or what tube will take me there.  As a regular commuter on London transport, I think I may have stumbled over the best first date. The first date that will really tell you the tru