just the

Essays

The longer pieces, newest first.

a poem · Oct 2026

A cluster of large, wavy brown mushrooms with cream gills growing from an old tree stump in the grass

Sundays

Sundays are forgetting the clocks went back, a surprise extra hour in bed, guilt-free sleep and lounging.

Read the poem → an essay · Oct 2026

A camera in a dark room, its lens glowing with a red recording light.

Getting Used to Being Watched

I hate being on camera. Then my job changed, AI arrived, and video stopped being optional. Here’s how I’ve been getting used to being watched.

Read the essay → an essay · Aug 2026

A woman with long hair, seen from behind in a checked shirt, looking out over a still lake at dusk.

How Do You Teach a Gut Feeling?

Two people came to me at work this week wanting to learn how I do my job.

Read the essay → an essay · Jul 2026

A moody Victorian study scene: antique leather-bound books, an open illustrated anatomy volume, and a specimen bird under a glass dome.

On the Shelf: Sherlock Holmes – A Study in Scarlet & The Sign of the Four

There we were, my eldest and I hunting through the stacks of our favourite charity shop, the top floor given over to forgotten books and board games. Three books for…

Read the essay → an essay · Jun 2026

A person in a white cloak carrying a lantern through a dark forest

Why I Read Folk Horror in a Place That Looks Like it

Why the unsettling books, folk horror, sci-fi, dystopia, are the ones that settle me, read from a cut-off corner of Devon that looks just like them.

Read the essay → an essay · May 2026

A magpie perched in the leafy canopy of a tree

Just Outside the Door

I’m sat in the garden after a slow walk down the railway line. I’m so glad I went.

Read the essay → an essay · Dec 2025

A hand holding a compass over calm water at sunset

A Slow Shift in the Right Direction

A quiet reflection on my weight loss journey as I transition from Tirzepatide to Semaglutide, learn to track my intake, manage cravings, and use the injections as a tool while building steadier habits.

Read the essay → an essay · Sep 2025

Cones of food wrapped in newspaper on a wooden stand at a street stall

Eat: A Day of Small Pleasures

Join me at Eat festival, where oysters, sausage rolls, music, and tiny treasures turned an ordinary day into one filled with small pleasures.

Read the essay → an essay · Sep 2025

A Walk in Autumn

A quiet autumn walk along the old railway path, where robins, fallen acorns, and a stranger’s smile turn an ordinary morning into a moment worth remembering.

Read the essay → an essay · May 2025

A fountain pen nib writing in cursive on lined paper

How I Know When a Draft Is “Finished”

Not every draft feels great when it’s done—but that doesn’t mean it’s not finished. Here’s how I know when to stop writing, even when I still feel unsure.

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