Jeni Barnett

When my father died his second wife seemed to forget that he was born a Jew. He had the looks and attitude of an East End market trader – which he was – when he died in Luton she had arranged a Christian burial. His disgraceful behaviour throughout his life meant the turn out was … Read more

Reading the ‘Daily Mail’ is a punishable offence but looking at the pictures is de rigueur. It is impossible to live in todays world without the ‘Mails’ forensic journalism that focusses on mass shootings, spoilers for soaps, the phoney marriages of blind daters not to mention the turgid trailers for naked tv. I’m not a … Read more

Boys should not be allowed guns, ever. Especially boys who despise democracy – they should not be allowed anywhere near weapons. Boys, with just enough testosterone to allow them to grow hair near their wobbly bits, should then be steered away from guns, bombs and tanks, forever. Boys who invent guns and napalm, swords, sticks … Read more

First Paul, then Barry, then Len – I met them all, but only in a nominal sense. Back in the 80’s I worked at LWT standing proudly on the river – that’s LWT not me – next door to Gabriels wharf where I bought bespoke ceramics and a big wooden lion who stood in my … Read more

There are clumps of daffodils and tulips dotted around the garden. I’ve planted two different peonies, all shiny burgundy leaves in terracotta crocks and there are three pots of poppies on the garden table waiting to be planted up. There are puddles in the lawn and the big, pink bathtub, that was gifted to us, … Read more

The Plymouth politician who ordered 110 trees to be chopped down in the middle of the night lives in one of the city’s most upmarket tree-lined streets. The council paused the plans due to objections from residents to a £12.7million redevelopment scheme but Tory leader Richard Bingley signed an executive order to fell the trees. … Read more

Gary Lineker said; ‘There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.’ Lineker berated Braverman over her immigration policy and all of … Read more

In 1970 I started in my first job at The Watford Palace Theatre. I got my Equity card and went on a trip to Harrogate to attend a children’s theatre festival. After tea and a plate of fat rascals in Betty’s Tearooms, we walked to ‘The Swan Hotel’ to watch an assemblage of visiting companies … Read more

Life feels chaotic. Saturday night and we should have been at the theatre but I left it too late and all the tickets had gone. Sunday arrives and I don’t remember getting through the week, what with train journeys and scaffolding in the front garden. What with young men called Ben who rip you off … Read more

January 26th 2023 and our first away day of the year. It was so cold I had the notion to stay local – Hastings could wait – so after pulling on two pairs of socks, and the rest of a wintry attire we set off for ~ Tunbridge Wells six miles south of our cottage. … Read more