DISTRACTED DAD

I write a weekly column 'Distracted Dad' for Brighton Magazine, The Latest. I've been doing this for almost four years now, so it's a kind of barrel-scraping of parental anecdotes, but hopefully I have covered many of the frustrating, random, idiosyncratic - and life-affirming - aspects of being a Dad. (Just in case anyone's not had enough of these 'insights' I'm currently writing a book on the same topic. Agents or publishers can contact me here!). Sometimes I divert onto non-parenting themes such as daydreams about Google Streetview, how to be a millionaire, or betting on the Grand National. To link to the column archive, click here, or you can access examples within the same archive via an index below. To the right is my related twitter feed, and click here for the first column "How Star Wars ruined my son's maths" - printed in February 2009.

Plus, Paul Lewis, who does the excellent illustrations, has his own website 'Pointless Rhino'. click here.

Here's a few example columns
Alcove Pre-Parenthood Time Machine DIY and nostalgia over 2 by 1
Supermarket expeditions incl. bladders, shoelaces and the perils of Postman Pat's van
A Thank you letter to The Boy A rare sentimental excursion
Seeing Red Home decorating Hannibal Lecter style
Why The sharpened tool that is Youngest's use of the word
Question: Is Youngest lucky? Answer: England go out on penalties
Champagne in a lego bag - Clues to parenthood - boxes of raisins, wet wipes & chardonnay
Blue Whale It's difficult to get a table when the blue whale's in town.
Tooth Fairy Inflation Rules, ecomomics, threating notes. And toys.
Friendship Cake - Meet Herman the German: a mixture of spider-man, a chain letter and a puppy
The best Fridge Freezer/Birds of Prey column I think that says it all really. My weekend combining owls and white goods.
Pregnancy food cravings Opal Fruits and a supermarket remake of The Bourne Supremacy.
The iphone and me My genius app idea and the feeling of being held hostage in Clinton Cards.
George Harrison and the hoover Something calms our young baby
Lego is a four letter word My job as my son's gopher.
Youngest(TM)learns to crawl(TM) Unconvincing animatronics and an upturned beetle.
The arrival of Youngest(TM) dominos, salmon and a sudden unexpected event
A maths evening(TM) Why counting to infinity makes the bath run cold.
Kinder Scout and snacksPepperami at 3000 feet.
Leadership election 2045 My two sons in imagined future rivalry
Parenthood: The Best Bits Pistoning arms, aerobatics and measuring out time in Charlie and Lolas.
The World Cup in Hove(TM) Some personal sporting memories.

PLUS here are two early columns only viewable on this website:
Star Wars Maths Explaining which film came first.
Bigger than a virus, smaller than an Airbus 380 The Boy learns about scale