Notifications and alarms – why it’s time to silence your digital world
Back in the late 1980s, my Nan bought a Grandfather clock for my Grandad. And my grandad was delighted. He set it up and we all waited patiently for the…
What does tinnitus sound like?
EEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeEEEeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Annoying right? Welcome to the world of my tinnitus. But surely all tinnitus is the same? A ringing sound in the ears. Yes, I thought the same when I…
My first soundwalk – it didn’t go quite as planned
Rustling, shimmying, arrrgggghhhhhhh. Those are the sounds from my first soundwalk. I’ve got it on video on my phone. A close-up of a spider’s web, light green leaves waving in…
How going on a silent retreat stopped me farting
I had many expectations about going on a silent retreat. Some realistic (finding some quiet space and alone time), some not so much (writing a novel in five nights and…
The joy of walking barefoot
Indoors finally got to me. My germaphobe and introvert side lost the battle. My garden is a sanctuary, but I needed to see different shades of green, and yellow and…
Why listening to birds is good for your health
“Shag me, shag me, shag me.” After weeks of hearing a Great Tit scream this from the tree outside my bedroom, I was ready to sign him up to bird…
There’s no such thing as silence
For the last year, I’ve been searching for silence, often with less than perfect outcomes. I’ve become increasingly anxious with all the manmade sounds that surround me and felt a need…
Four sounds I’m not looking forward to as we return to normal
On this, the first anniversary of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK (23 March 2020), I remember how shockingly quiet the world became when we all stopped going out.…
Hush! 