I am back and you’ll be thrilled to hear that apart from a weekend away in Margate later this month, I have no more holidays currently planned. I’d love to say I’ll now be less insufferable but I don’t like to make promises I can’t keep. I was actually really sad to be away from writing for such a long time. I’ve been committed to writing more consistently than ever before over the last four months and I missed being able to tap tap tap away. Writing last week's Offcuts on my phone was so hard, mainly because all the cute little headers I’ve added made the format go awry. Anyway, I did it and you received it so job done. Not my finest, but that’s Drafting.
Finished reading Yellowface by R.F. Kuang on holiday. If you’re a true Drafting fan you’ll know I bookmarked this new release a couple of weeks ago. It didn’t disappoint and I gobbled it up like a hungry little piggy. Kuang’s darkly comic humour thread like silk throughout the book, pinning together a story of white privilege and the dilution of Asian voices. Buy it now.
After being closed to the public for the last three years, just over a week ago the National Portrait Gallery reopened. The refurb was called ‘project Inspiring People’ and involved a major redisplay of the collection, focusing on works from the Tudors until now. I’ve seen the rediscovered photos of Paul McCartney doing the round on social media and plenty of other exciting new finds as well. Must find a time to go.
There is not much out there to beat the full experience of freshly washed bedding. The feel of crisp cotton against your skin as you hop into bed, giddy with excitement. The lingering scent of laundry detergent wafting up your nose as you drift off. Ahhhhh.
People on aeroplanes who literally lurch out of their seats the moment before the seatbelt signs go off. I actually go elbowed in the head on Saturday by someone who’d catapulted it down the aisle to get their bag and get off the flight. I’d say it’s a 100% probability we’re all going to make it off this plane and not be left stranded on the tarmac at Heathrow. RELAX.
While I was busy on my eighteen-hour journey home, people were out in their droves celebrating Pride month. So this week, I’m taking some inspiration from the gorgeous LGBTQ+ community. I love this quote from Harvey Milk- politician, human rights leader and the first openly gay man elected into public office in California- “Hope will never be silent”.
