A Temporary Pause...

My father died on Friday evening. He was ninety two years old. So I’m writing this sitting at my mother’s laptop, in her cottage in Oxfordshire. Through the window there’s a wooden fence, a rough meadow and an electricity pylon, and in the distance the blue spine of the North Wessex Downs. In between is the river Thames, a ribbon of early morning mist. And life carries on, as before. The postman goes about his business; in the lane there are dog-walkers and the odd horse. And a jet airliner, and contrails, high in a crystal sky, on its way to the New World. Breakfast in America.

I was meaning to write a film post for today (for all) followed by an extra post on Wednesday (for Hallowe’en), and then again a post for ‘paid-subscribers’ on Friday— so please forgive me if I skip a few posts. I’m also not really sure what you are supposed to do, when this sort of thing happens on social media? Especially if you write a weekly Substack for paid-subscribers? Fortunately, it’s a first. I’m not really one to bare my soul to the world. Do I write a post, or just a note? Or perhaps both?

I’ll be back in a week or so’s time.

Many thanks,

Luke