As the Holland nest slowly empties, a traumatised Mr and Mrs Holland are finally able to take stock and audit the damage inflicted on our house by our four boisterous boys. It has fared badly. There are chips and dents everywhere. Door frames and any timber fittings are all bruised. The walls haven’t escaped either,…
Monte Carlo used to be on my regular roster of gigs. At Nice airport I used to enjoy the airport PA announcements… “Mr Dominic Holland, please report to the helicopter transit area…” And yes, on occasion I might have dawdled so that I could hear such announcements being repeated. Such gigs will be ongoing, only…
Having Tom Holland as my first born is many things and clearly presents many upsides. But some downsides also… One of these being a disconnect between me and the bulk of people kind enough to follow me on social media. Number of followers is the metric of modern success – and after numbers comes engagement…
There are some blogs that I need to really work at. Typically, something oblique or quirky will catch my attention but it might not be enough on its own and it might need to be linked with something else. I won’t start writing immediately but prefer to wait for something further to occur to me….
The success of this blog will depend on its tone. It is a subject I am most often asked about and one which does feature in my writing but only by implication. Pride is something we should be mindful of. It is one of the seven deadly sins and with good reason. Up there with…
To say the least, my timing is poor. In the week I am launching a brand-new podcast – Takes on Life (available now) (just saying) and publishing a new book (same title) (available tomorrow) – my latest potential bestseller – that these two seismic events in my long and tired career should coincide with me…
Gigs in suits are always welcome – proper earners I like to call them. These are the gigs that have afforded me enough time to write my 9 books and counting. Each book being a bullet in the barrel and a potential shot at the jackpot. Note the use of the word ‘potential’, but I…
A football pitch, a golf course, a meadow or a field to a Wimbledon tennis court… Grass is indeed a hallowed and important plant. Anyone visiting Asia for the first time will stare agog at bamboo being used as scaffolding poles to erect skyscrapers. A grass as strong as steel, who knew? The most important…
The internet and mobile devices have created complete global interconnectedness and social media has made all our voices equally loud and valid. That this is a great step forward is open to debate but certainly it is a perfect field for division as exemplified by a single word almost no one had heard of only…
Heading to the Cancer Research charity shop with my black bags, I have mixed emotions because any feelings of altruism I might have are overshadowed by the thrill of decluttering our home. Outside McDonalds are tens and tens of scooters all parked up. Leathered riders, in-between jobs are smoking and jabbering to one another in…
