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Welcome to your weekly GL musing - whoops, what am I saying?  We’ve entered the new era, haven’t we?  ‘Life in Laytonia’ is now appearing once a fortnight.  Goodness, those 2 weeks have flown by. Maybe you’ve been missing me?  I hope...

Welcome to the first anniversary of my weekly ‘Life  in Laytonia’ posts.  Writing these weekly rants, reflections, observations, columns, blogs, call them what you like, has been one of the few good things – correction – probably for me the only good thing...

I may be entering my 60th year in The Profession– for some reason the acting trade has always been referred to as ‘The Profession’ implying it is above all other professions (including the oldest one).  Why actors regard their professional calling superior to all...

As a writer, the question I get asked more than any other is: ‘What do you find most difficult when it comes to writing?’ I know that I have banged on (to a boring degree) about procrastination.  I have prattled on about searching for any ‘legitimate’ excuse to avoid...

In 1960, in my first term at drama school, I wrote a short story.  Probably in my bedsit during a lonely weekend in the big city, I don’t recall. Short story shorter, I sold it to the BBC’s ‘Morning Story’ getting myself an acting job at the same time. Written an...

Writing a regular column/blog/stream of consciousness, call it what you like, is very different to the kind of writing I did in a career that I “enjoyed” for many years The use of parentheses? Because writing for me was a reasonably successful second career that I had...

This week, I thought I would hand out a few deserving bouquets, a refreshing alternative to my customary justified - in my opinion - moans, groans and ill-tempered persona. Don’t, however, get too comfortable.  I shall also be handing out some brickbats and as...

It’s curious, but when I see words on the page or on the computer screen or written anywhere, to me they look like what they mean. Take the word ‘look’ that I have just written.  The double OO.  Two eyes, looking. The word ‘curious’ has a curious look about...

Those of you who are regular followers of  ‘Life in Laytonia’ are aware of my predilection for any distraction from whatever I’m working on.  I have written about it many times. ‘Predilection’?  I’m not sure that’s the right word.  Fondness,...

As has been documented in previous musings, it is an irritating habit of mine to start the day with a rant.  Or to be more accurate, it was. I would regularly begin most mornings with a moan, a vent, a diatribe.  No. There is no better word than rant - ooh,...

6th January 2021 So, here we are.  The 12 days of Christmas are over.  The first ‘Life in Laytonia’ of 2021. Yes, I’m back after the festive break and I’m raring to go!   But I have a dilemma. 7th January 2021 Well, that was a good day’s work.  I...

Surprise! Surprise!!  It’s me! Having written last week that I would be taking a mini-break over the festive season, that for the next few weeks my musings would be somewhat sporadic, here I am with an unexpected pre-Christmas ‘Life in...

Goodness me, is it that time of year again?  Christmas lights, silver baubles, cute little robins and white satin bows that clip on the tree.  Silver chains with silver bells that adorn the branches and the Christmas sheep rather than the angel that sits on...

Those of you who read last week’s ‘Life in Laytonia’ (Farewell Methuselah) will be aware that it was uncharacteristically late coming online. To add insult to injury I began my musings with an addendum.  Ridiculous. You cannot begin with an addendum: ADDENDUM:...

Addendum: No, that can’t be right.  An addendum must surely come at the end, after the piece has been read.  Perhaps, 'explanation' is the more apposite word. Explanation: Why this week’s ‘Life in Laytonia’ is so late coming online.  2 words: ...

I have never been a fan of social media.  Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Twitter, it has never appealed to me. With my predilection for procrastination, I need another distraction like a hole in the head.  I have read enough about these addictive...

George: (into ‘phone):  Oh, dear.  I’m sorry to hear that.  Listen mate, one man’s meat is another man’s poison…   I was chatting to my friend of over 60–odd years and never once during our long friendship have I ever called him mate.  In...

Week 25.  A quarter way to 100 ‘Life in Laytonias’.  If I include the pre-cursor to ‘Life in Laytonia’, the 7 ‘Layton on Lockdown’ articles, commissioned by the Telegraph Online back in the March of this torrid Covid year, that makes 32. Goodness me! ...