The Side Hustle of Least Resistance
I’ve been thinking. It’s time to write something. 6 months has flown by, and it’s about time my Funny Matters’ muscles were flexed again. So here goes. A wee catch-up … Continue reading
An Open Apology To My Friends With Babies
This post can also be read at the Huffington Post UK… *** We’re in an impossible situation you and I. It’s been weighing on my mind for a while now. And … Continue reading
The I.V.F Dilemma
This post can also be read at the Huffington Post UK… *** So I said I wasn’t going to write about any of this yet. I said I was going to … Continue reading
A voice from the dark: why talking taboos makes for a better society
This post can also be read at the Huffington Post UK… *** Last month I published an article called An Open Apology to My Friends With Babies. It was about miscarriage … Continue reading
David Bowie: Keeping Schtum About Cancer
This post can also be read at the Huffington Post UK… *** Well. That was a week of very sad news. David Bowie. Alan Rickman. Dead. Cancer. Aged 69. Like many … Continue reading
Beating Your Inner Bridezilla (or How To Control the Weather From Beyond the Grave)
I was determined to be a laid back bride. An easy going wedding planner. It was one of my major worries about getting married. You see. I am very easily … Continue reading
My “Big Day”: My Mother’s Funeral
The day before my Mum’s funeral I went and did the food shopping. A few people offered to come with me. But I had it covered. It didn’t even occur … Continue reading
Facing the F Bomb: Forty & Fertility
I turn 40 in a few weeks time. It feels ridiculous to say that out loud. Like I’m play-acting. Pretending to be a grown up. But no. There it is. … Continue reading
A Mother’s Love
When I was really small…. One of my earliest memories. An Irish traveller came to the front door. Selling chamois leathers and little bunches of heather wrapped in tin foil. … Continue reading
Night at the Hospice
We were all so fearful about the hospice at first. But we couldn’t have been further from the truth. The only way I can explain it… Whenever I walked in … Continue reading
Death & Online Dating
I’m back. Back from getting hitched and honeymooning. I’m now an honest woman. And I have a piece of paper to prove it. *** The whole wedding caboodle was wonderful. … Continue reading
Three Years and Counting…
Remember me? I’ve not been round these parts for a while. I know. I’m sorry. Tsk. Start a blog. Invite people to subscribe. Then leave them in the lurch… Downright … Continue reading
Two weeks to go – have you booked yet?
In just over two weeks… …my one woman show My Mum The Chemo Ninja will hit the Brighton Fringe… for four nights only! I am now officially terrifixcited (see what … Continue reading
Ready Steady Book!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1… THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! Booking is now open for the stage adaptation of my blog, Funny Matters… CLICK HERE for the online box office & all show info … Continue reading
Brixton Bookjam
Thanks so much to everyone who came along to see me pop my ‘spoken word’ cherry on Monday night at the fabulous Brixton Bookjam. I had such a great night. … Continue reading
My Woman on the Boat
Not a lot of people know this. But back in 2012. I harboured a dirty secret. Every Wednesday lunchtime. For about a year. I sloped off from my office desk. … Continue reading
Pretty Damn Exciting News
Hot off the press! (almost) I have some pretty damn exciting news to share with you All sorts of developments have been taking place over the past few weeks. And details have … Continue reading
Break-up. Breakdown. Breakthrough
The 25th of October 2011. I remember it well. It was my Mum and step-dad David’s 25th wedding anniversary. I wanted to make a fuss of her. Of them. After … Continue reading
The C Words: Couples Counselling
Anyone ever done couples counselling? I have. Now. I’m going to give you a free tip here. Just one of my regular pearls of wisdom. Here it is: Couples counselling … Continue reading
If you do one thing today, please vote for my mackerel!
If you’ve not yet seen my shameless pleas for votes over on my Facebook page you may not know the exciting news that Funny Matters has been nominated for the … Continue reading
Change Management & Battenberg Cake
Hello stranger. Sorry you’ve not seen much of me ’round these parts. Funny Matters has had somewhat of an unplanned hiatus. A mini-break if you like. I guess I … Continue reading
Finding the Positive
Wow….What can I say? You’ve overwhelmed me. I was blown away by all the wonderful comments and messages you lot – out there – sent me in response to my … Continue reading
The Grandchild She’d Never Meet….
When I was clearing out my Mum’s clothes. A few weeks back. I found a bag of her knitting. Unfinished. What she’d been making before she’d died. Maybe not so … Continue reading
Bitter-Sweet Charity
This post is a follow-on from my last one – Confessions of a Dysfunctional Daughter. So if you haven’t already read it. It’s probably a good idea to do that … Continue reading
Confessions of a Dysfunctional Daughter
Warning: Segue coming up. I repeat. Segue coming up Yes. I know. It was only last month that I was on here bleating. About how sorry I was. For going … Continue reading
An Unexpected Inheritance
I’ve always considered myself to be quite a shy person. I know this might cause guffaws from some. Those who know me. But it’s true. Meeting new people. Joining groups. … Continue reading
Going Ape With Mum
Right. Enough is enough. Stop with the distractions. I went off the beaten track for a few weeks there. Didn’t I? Got caught up in the bright lights. Of hospice … Continue reading
Sport, Grief & Clare Balding
Anyone see last week’s opening ceremony for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games? I did. And it got me thinking about the last time we all went a bit sporting gaga. Cast … Continue reading
Picture Perfect…?
So you may remember. A few weeks ago. I was getting all stressy. About those articles I’d been asked to write. The hospice ones. Well. Turned out I’d got it … Continue reading
Hospice: The ‘H’ Word
You may have seen me on my Facebook page this week frothing at the mouth with excitement and honour at my hospice article being published in the acclaimed www.ehospice.com! If not, … Continue reading
Two Years On…
Today is 14th of July 2014. Bastille Day. The anniversary of the beginning of the French revolution. The storming of the Bastille. For me though, it’s something far more significant. … Continue reading
My Can Of Worms
Last week I was approached by two different organisations to write about my positive hospice experience. Hmm. Positive. Somehow it feels peculiar to use that word. In the context of … Continue reading
My Mum Doctorate
I’m one of those people doctors love to hate. A researcher. Oh come on. Who doesn’t love a good research? <Tumbleweed> When I go and see the doctor. Chances are … Continue reading
The Marian Keyes Effect
I’ve finally done it! I’ve managed to write a short post. Well. You do deserve a reprieve Truthfully though. It’s not the post I’d planned. Gone slightly off-piste today. I know. … Continue reading
My Mum The Chemo Bandit
What is it with doctors’ surgeries? They’re full of people with infectious illnesses. Not ideal for hypochondriacs, I bet. They probably leave the doctors convinced they’ve contracted everything under the … Continue reading
How I Became A Compulsive Liar
My name’s Angela. And I’m a curtain-twitcher Well. A recovering one You see. I come from a long line of curtain-twitchers (see last post). You could say it’s an hereditary … Continue reading
How Are You?
How are you? Seems like a simple question. Three words. Uncomplicated Or is it? When you to say to someone ‘how are you?’ What do you expect back? The standard … Continue reading
My First Time
Do you remember your first time? I do. No. I don’t mean that first time… Tut. I don’t know. One track mind I mean the first time you realised your … Continue reading
Hatfield & The North
Hatfield. The childhood abode of Elizabeth I. The birthplace of the Mosquito fighter bomber. Most famous for? The Hatfield train crash, of course. For me. It just happened to be where … Continue reading
And Then I Did Jury Service…
I had been excited for months about doing my jury service. First off. It was a two week holiday from the job I hated. On top of that. I had … Continue reading
The Stupid Things We Say
Many years ago, my best friend and I were being chatted up in Barcelona by a couple of musicians. As was always the case, she got ‘the good one’. A … Continue reading
Funny Ha Ha or Funny Grief?
As part of the Screw Work Let’s Play 30 Day Challenge I have publicly committed to spending the month of June creating content for a funny book on grief and … Continue reading
How Jennifer Aniston can help monitor your mental health
I can gauge my emotional health by the things I want to watch on TV. You see, I’ve always been a bit of a telly and film snob. I would … Continue reading