Comic
Sally Codman and her family are deeply moved by the BBC's Comic Relief programme - a fund raising effort to help people world-wide who stuggle to maintain life.
Home | Walking the Tightrope
April 21, 2005
April 14, 2005
Fire
The word "fire'' brings back alarming memories for Sally Codman.
April 07, 2005
Africa
Sally Codman receives a text message which throws her into red alert.
March 17, 2005
Daylight Robbery
Sally Codman bemoans the fact that many folk have to pay to draw their own money from the bank.
March 10, 2005
The Worst Day
Tell people why they should be miserable and they will delight in telling you why they shouldn't be, says Sally Codman.
March 03, 2005
The Three Ps
"By the time polling day is upon us we've lost the will to live, never mind vote...'' In a British General Election year, Sally Codman is fed-up with politicians and their muck-raking ways.
February 24, 2005
Romantic
Sally Codman has some serious and sensible thoughts about romantic love - and true love.
February 17, 2005
Gym
When Sally Codman returned to the gym she started gently, swimming a few lengths then sampling aqua-aerobics - "great fun if you don't mind wallowing about looking like a hippo in a mud pool''.
February 10, 2005
Childcare
As a mum who has spent many years trying to fit together the intricate jigsaw of child rearing challenges, Sally Codman is far from impressed by the latest political proposals to help families with the soaring costs of childcare.
February 03, 2005
Family
Sally Codman compares family likenesses and mannerisms - a certain glance, a lift of the head, a wave of a hand, a smile, a familiar saying, a way of looking at life.
January 27, 2005
Grumpy
Sally Codman rallies brilliantly from after-Christmas blues and grumpiness by writing a Reasons to be Cheerful list.
January 13, 2005
Dating
Sally Codman considers the dating game and decides that a good man would be hard to find.
January 06, 2005
Lotto
Sally Codman dreams of huge Lotto wins.
December 30, 2004
Red Tape
Sally Codman finds herself entangled in red tape as she tries to sort out a pensions problem for an elderly relative.
December 23, 2004
Ya Gotta Have A Dream
There's a fine line between being supportive and encouraging youngsters and being realistic and honest, says Sally Codman.
December 16, 2004
Christmas Cards
"How I envy those super-organised people who buy their cards and wrapping paper at the January sales and order their organic hand reared turkey in August,'' says Sally Codman.
December 09, 2004
Gamble
Sally Codman deplores the idea of more Las Vegas-style casinos in Britain.
December 02, 2004
Gap
As Eldest Daughter makes plans for a Gap Year, mum Sally Codman is dreaming of also taking time out to travel and see the world.
November 25, 2004
Neverland
Sally Codman discovers that the film Finding Neverland is a must for everyone who likes to nurture their inner-child.
November 18, 2004
Poppy Day
On November 11, Remembrance Day, millions of British people wore a poppy with pride - glad in the knoledge that the money raised by the Poppy appeal goes to alleviate some of the pain and trouble caused by wars. Among them was Sally Codman, who points out in this column that it is still possible to give money to the British Legion - organisers of the Poppy appeal - at any time of the year.
October 27, 2004
Smacking
In an ideal world all parents would stay cool and calm under extreme pressure and provocation, says Sally Codman as she discusses the fraught question of whether, or not, to smack children.
October 20, 2004
Speeding
Sally Codman dreads attending a speed awareness course - then is pleasantly surprised.
October 13, 2004
Exams
Students who had buried their heads in the sand- or should that be in their pillows - after completing the dreaded exams were forced to confront the fact that their future hopes and dreams could depend on the contents of an envelope. Sally Codman and her family live through that most nervous time - the arrival of exam results.
October 06, 2004
Bird's Eye View
"I began to wish I'd stayed in the lakeside restaurant drinking cafe-au-lait and reading yesterday's papers...'' Sally Codman tackles a climbing-adventure circuit.
September 30, 2004
Bank Holidays
"No one likes me in a traffic jam,'' says Sally Codman. "I don't even like myself...'' And that is why she stays close to home on Bank Holidays.
September 08, 2004
Teens
Being a teenager isn't a bed of roses, says Sally Codman, highlighting the fact with statistics on the sad plight of youngsters who are thrown out of their own homes.
September 01, 2004
Smacking
"Anyone who has ever had to deal with a major tantrum from a terrible two-year-old whilst trying to feed or change a new baby and read to their four-year-old, all at the same time, after weeks of severe sleep deprivation, will know that sometimes keeping your cool isn't so easy.'' says Sally Codman as she discusses the contoversial issue of whether or not to smack a child.
August 25, 2004
Wearing The Trousers
Sally Codman is determined to go on wearing the trousers, even if she hates the task of buying them, as she reveals in this ebullient column.
August 18, 2004
Beggars Can Be Choosers
When Sally Codman tries to give away two old-fashioned wardrobes she finds that beggars can be choosers.
August 11, 2004
Missing Billions
Sally Codman encourages us to help older folk by joining the hunt for the missing billions - the £2.5 billion that deserving pensioners, for a variety of reasons, have failed to claim from the State.
August 04, 2004
Nanny State - Sometimes
"I don't see why I should have my meal ruined by the addicts at the next table who chain smoke between courses...'' Although Sally Codman is suspicious of Nanny State policies, she finds herself supporting public smoking bans and the banning of adverts directed at children for sweets and fast food.
July 28, 2004
Awards
Just the thought of Middle Daughter on the loose in the wilds of the countryside is enough to have the sheep, never mind her mum Sally Codman, reaching for the tranquillisers.
July 14, 2004
Time Travelling
Sally Codman goes on a school trip - and finds herself going back in time.
July 07, 2004
Clubbing
Sally Codman points out that the "horrible habit of clubbing'' is robbing millions of worried parents of a good night's shuteye.
June 30, 2004
Football? - No Thanks!
Every aspect of football has escaped from the usual safe prison of the sports pages says Sally Codman as she contemplates fleeing to Mars to escape from the excessive converage of the 2004 European football tournament.
June 02, 2004
Frozen Spinach
You struggle out of the door at 8.15 am to do a double school run when Middle Daughter suddenly demands spinach. Sally Codman thinks about getting a magician-style pointy hat to help her perform the magical tricks required of a Super Mum.
May 26, 2004
A Famous Bird
Sally Codman meets Dickie Bird, the famous cricket umpire - and also recalls interviews with other famous authors.
May 19, 2004
A Ginger Bundle
Sally Codman introduces us to a tiny bundle of ginger kitten called Monty, who has joined in the fun at Castle Codman.
May 12, 2004
Tired Of Waiting
Sally Codman has spent so much time in waiting rooms that she has adopted a Kinks song as her personal theme tune - "Tired of waiting for you''.
May 05, 2004
The Passion
Sally Codman weeps silently as she watches Mel Gibson's film The Passion Of Christ. Be brave, she says, see it for yourselves.
April 14, 2004
Dreams
Sally Codman suggests that if Martin Luther King was alive today he would be horrified to see that people of every colour still live on lonely islands of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of world prosperity.
March 31, 2004
The Eye Of The Beholder
Sally Codman muses on feminine beauty - and wishes she had been alive at the time when Rubens was painting curvy, rounded women.
March 24, 2004
No News Is Good News?
Sally Codman considers the news - bad and good.
March 17, 2004
Dreams
Sally Codman writes about sleep, dreams, and a kitchen swamped with accounts of weird night-time visions.
March 10, 2004
A Birthday Surprise
Sally Codman tells of a birthday present which led to a surprise get-together of the Living Flame.
March 02, 2004
Holidays - And After
Sally Codman reflects on the fact that a Canadian holiday broadens more than the mind - then faces up to the harsh reality of returning home.
February 25, 2004
Careers
This week Sally Codman considers possible careers for her offspring. Could the answer be chocolate?
February 18, 2004
Mum's Taxi Service
Despite all the stresses and demands of running Mum's Taxi Service for her family, Sally Codman is determined to hang on to her wheels.
February 11, 2004
School Trips
Sally Codman shares some witty thoughts and advice on the often contentious subject of school trips.
February 03, 2004
Energy
Sally Codman has discovered a renewable energy source that could save the world.
January 27, 2004
Financial fears of Uni
Sally Codman takes a witty but sobering look at financing the costs of university education for her family.
January 19, 2004
Home-working
Sally Codman discovers that home-working involves finding some place for a bit of peace and quiet.
January 09, 2004
The Calendar Girls
Sally Codman muses on whether or not she would allow herself to be featured in a nude calendar.
Categories
- A Clutch Of Pearlies
- A Court Of Fowls
- A Diary of Innocence
- A Fistful Of Stars
- A Geordie All-Rounder
- A Life Less Lost
- A Lovely Shade Of Blue
- A Potter's Moll
- A Shout From The Attic
- A Spitfire Pilot Remembers
- A Tale Of The Unexpected
- A Writer On Writing
- About A Week
- About Our Words
- After Work
- Alaskan Range
- All That Was
- All This Jazz
- American Pie
- An Englishman In New York
- Ancient Feet
- And Another Thing...
- Animal Stories
- Anna And Rosie
- Arabian Autographs
- Arkell's Ark
- Around The Sun
- As Time Goes By
- Away With Worry
- Backwords
- Beijing 2008 Olympics
- Black Ice
- Blue, Green, Red and Purple
- Bonzer Words!
- Book Bounty
- Born With a Rusty Spoon
- Bradford Lad
- Christmas Every Week
- Classical Composers A-Z
- Clement's Corner
- Consequences
- Darkly Watching
- David Marsh Cartoons
- Day After Day
- Delanceyplace
- Denizens
- Diamonds And Dust
- Donkin's World
- Double Cream
- Down The Holler
- Dr Ron's Laughter Clinic
- Dusk To Dusk
- Ee By Gum Lord!
- Eric Shackle Writes
- Facets Of India
- Family Of Four
- Fast Fiction
- Feather's Miscellany
- Fishcake Words
- Flood
- Footprints
- Got The T-Shirt
- Harry's Tales
- Here Comes Treble
- Here In Africa
- Here's Alison
- Highlights In The Shadows
- I Didn't Belong
- I Only Came For The Music
- Illegal Entry
- Illingworth House
- In Good Company
- In The Small Hours
- Interludes
- It's A Great Life
- Jambo Paulo - Jambo Mykoli
- Jo'Burg Days
- Kiwi Konexions
- Lansdowne Crescent
- Laugh With Lisa
- Lest It Be Forgotten After I Am Gone
- Letter From America
- Letter From The Other Side
- Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
- Living On Three Continents
- London 2012 Olympics
- London Letter
- Luddite Spring
- Man Bites Talking Dog
- McCaffrey On Fishing
- Mullin' It Over
- My Week
- National Trust News
- North American Dreaming
- Olga's Daughter
- On The Gold Coast
- Open Features
- Opinion And World View
- Over Here
- Oz Musings
- Pamy's Place
- Pins And Needles
- Poetry Pleases
- Rainbow's End
- Ratcatcher
- Rodney's Ramblings
- Roses Aren't Everything
- Sam Pepys – His Diary
- Sandy's Say
- Shalom and Sheiks
- She's Back Again
- Shooting the Breeze
- Simply Sue
- Skidmore's Island
- Smallville
- Spanish Secrets
- Tales from Tawa
- Tasmanian Words
- Thai Girl Tattle
- The Day Before Yesterday
- The First Seventy Years
- The Fourth Wish
- The Great Cley Floods
- The Kingdom Of The Blind
- The Last Star Trek
- The Limit
- The Melody Lingers On
- The Museum Mystery
- The Reyrolle Story
- The Scrivener
- The Shepherdsville Times
- This and That
- Thoughts From The Coast
- Through Lattice Windows
- Time Witnesses
- To War With The Bays
- Two Rooms And A View
- U3A Writing
- Useful And Fantastic
- Views And Reviews
- Visions Of Hope
- Visions of Glory
- Walking the Tightrope
- Walnut Wisdom
- Western Oz Words
- Western Walkabout
- When The Crocodile Smiles
- Word Acts
- Words From Adelaide
- Words In History
- Yorkshire Dialect
- Yorkshire Lad
