Welcome to justthoughtsnstuff

I started posting to jtns on 20 February 2010 with just one word, 'Mosaic'. This seemed an appropriate introduction to a blog that would juxtapose fragments of memoir and life-writing. Since 1996, I'd been coming to terms with the consequences of emotional and economic abuse that had begun in childhood, and which, amongst other things, had sought to stifle self-expression. While I'd explored some aspects of my life through fiction and, to a lesser extent, journalism, it was only in 2010 that I felt confident enough to write openly about myself. I believed this was an important part of the healing process. Yet within weeks, the final scenes of my family's fifty-year nightmare started to play themselves out and the purpose of the blog became one of survival through writing. Although some posts are about my family's suffering - most explicitly, Life-Writing Talk, with Reference to Trust: A family story - the majority are about happier subjects (including, Bampton in rural west Oxfordshire, where I live, Oxford, where I work, the seasons and the countryside, walking and cycling) and I hope that these, together with their accompanying photos, are enjoyable and positive. Note: In February 2020, on jtns' tenth birthday, I stopped posting to this blog. It is now a contained work of life-writing about ten years of my life. Frank, 21 February 2020.

New blog: morethoughtsnstuff.com.

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

swan at radcot, cold ipa, spice, narrowboat, morris, red house















Met friends at the Swan at Radcot this evening. A great pint of Green King IPA, chilled smoothflow version--'great' to my great surprise (not something I would try usually). Actually thought it tasted better than the ordinary. GK IPA's got a full enough flavour to withstand the cold--in fact the chilling seems to bring out its spiciness. Loved the new-look bar at the Swan too--though it's been like it for about a year, so they said.

Afterwards we visited our friends' narrowboat, which isn't going anywhere just now because of the high water level. Wonderful, standing in the boat and staring out at the river which, because of the perspective, seems almost at the windowsill. As we left, the mist was rising on the meadows.

A better end to the day, as far as the weather was concerned. This morning it was odd seeing the Morris dancers in front of St John's--and later in the Ashmolean courtyard (the first time the dancing has happened there, it seems)--in the pouring rain. Well done them for their perseverance.

Really enjoyed listening to the Mark Haddon interview on Radio 4's Front Row this evening--he was talking about his new novel The Red House, which is due out later this month.
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