I watched the first episode of Twisted Yoga on Apple and realised that it’s the same story (and one of the same participants) as this really excellent podcast series. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/serie...

Temu Barry Gibb. #totp

To this day, whenever I tell anyone I’m about to have a shower, I mentally add “and phone my brother up.” #totp #associates

Watching #totp in delay so I’m up Haircut 100 who are dressed entirely from one of those odd chandlery shops that also sells clothes, like you get in Falmouth or similar.

Update: I had my phone call. It’s fine. Should get a chemo restart date in the next couple of weeks.

Still waiting. I can honestly say that waiting for phone calls makes me more anxious than anything else during this whole cancer palaver. Even a low-stakes phone call.

I have an oncology consultation ON THE PHONE at 12.30. Sometimes they’re a bit early, sometimes they’re a bit late so you can just imagine the state of me right now. How come waiting in a physical waiting room is less stressful than waiting for a phone call?

On Liza Minnelli’s 80th birthday, let me tell you the story of how I once found myself queueing for a lift with her and her two bodyguards. 1/

Today I felt well enough to go upstairs on the bus into town, where I bought some M&S picky bits and ate enjoyably naff fast food. Then I bravely asked a girl to give up her seat on the bus shelter bench while waiting for the bus home. And now I shall veg out all afternoon.

I’ve been really looking forward to reading this but it got caught up in the Unbound nightmare. So pleased it’s finally back - ebook version ordered!

By the way I have history of very short hair. Here I am aged 29, a few weeks after giving myself a good go with the clippers. I’m in a motel room in Memphis beaming with pride and joy on Day 2 of my first ever US solo roadtrip.

I did it again today. I sat in a café doing some writing with a naked head. Very freeing.

Incidentally if you haven’t read Andrew Lownie’s book Entitled yet, please do. It’s jaw-dropping. It is exhaustive but also somewhat exhausting simply because of the sheer amount and regularity of the grift. This piece makes a a very elegant and scathing introduction.

“Pizza Express, Woking will be etched forever on their silent hearts” www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Oh! I meant to tell you all: yesterday I went for a Sunday roast with some excellent friends and I TOOK MY HAT OFF in the restaurant, thus exposing everyone to my chemo head. It felt very empowering and I might do it more often.

That was lovely but I do remain a bit 😬 with how many times they’ve had to tell their personal stories. Would love at least one entirely abstract main make with no emotional soul-bearing next year. Anyway, any one of them would have been a deserved winner so well done everyone. #potterythrowdown

Oh no! Because of Crufts, the pots aren’t on till 9pm! That means it’ll finish at past my bedtime. But on the bright side, I am on sick leave so I guess it’s okay to stay up till 10.15pm. #potteryThrowdown

Those police procedural documentaries like Forensics: The Real CSI, 24 Hours in Police Custody etc should issue a warning at the start if the crime doesn’t get solved, so you don’t get too invested and end up disappointed.

‘It’s International Women’s Day. Why aren’t you smiling?’

More than 40 years ago my not-yet-husband, appalled by the daily shit 20 year old me had to deal with, asked "Is there ANYTHING good about being a woman??". "Yes" I said, "having other women as friends". He got it. Happy International Women's Day 💪

Happy International Women’s Day. Women are great.

…and probably with good reason, on International Women’s Day or indeed any other

Taylor Tomlinson - Prodigal Daughter on the Netflix is a really good hour of stand-up. Particularly if, like me, you had a somewhat evangelical Christian upbringing. Recommended.

I’ve just finished Nonesuch by Francis Spufford, which is both enormously entertaining and beautifully written. I normally take agin fantasy, but I’m a sucker for books about plucky young women in the Blitz, so I stuck with it and I’m very glad I did.

I’ve watched it ten times or more but I’ll still watch it every time it turns up on telly - Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park is glorious. #notTOTP

An American Tune is a truly great song. #notTOTP #simonandgarfunkel

Vision Quest, starring Matthew Modine (as a high school wrestler) and Linda Fiorentino, in case you wondered. #totp #madonna

An early example of a band saying its own name at the start of the track like a proto Jason Derulo. #JesusJones #totp

God I love this song. #massiveattack #totp

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmr... No doubt I'll wang on about this Friday night, but #TOTP this week features Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack. Now there's no way the BBC will play the entire video, so why not have a watch now? 1/3

This bloke is appallingly off tune, isn’t he? #totp

While everyone’s talking about Bob Holness… he wiped satay sauce off my dress with his licky on his hanky while we were both at a reception at 10 Downing Street. He seemed to enjoy it. #totp

Because of both Kate Bush and Frida on this episode, I plaited my hair while damp and slept on it, hoping it’d be crimped in the morning. #totp

Rita Coolidge on #totp gives me an excuse to share the sexiest music clip ever. youtu.be/HKh6ZqVKmN4?...

Pick a note, Ronan, any note. #totp

Ah, the Backstreet Boys: Curtains, Tatts, Blando, someone’s dad who has a car, Chinstrap. #totp

Lots of excellent stuff on this year. Last year, I was at AggieFest when I realised I was probably quite ill indeed. So I’m looking forward to returning this year hopefully in good health. I have bought my Saturday day ticket already…

I had a lovely day going into town yesterday on the bus, buying things in shops like normal. Today I’ve spent mostly lying on the sofa feeling tired and sore and I’ve just put my nightie and dressing gown back on. Four weeks since debulking surgery. Recovery is a tricky thing.

Okay, this has possibilities. I see what they’re trying to do with it. #eurovision youtu.be/niMKvJ-Itq8?...

Excellent account of the history of my workplace, @marjonuni.bsky.social.

Oh, excuse my excitement as it’s soooo long since I last wrote a book and sometimes it all seems like I just dreamt it. But I have an actual author page on the Penguin website! www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1756...

On World Book Day, may I heartily recommend books? They’re really good. I bloody love them. Also you may not know, but once upon a time I wrote some books and was a mildly promising writer. Some of them are even still purchasable. www.janehill.co.uk/books.html

Meanwhile, look at my hair! This is since my most recent chemo in late December. I do still have another three rounds of chemo to go (probably restarting in a fortnight or so) so it’ll no doubt disappear again. But this does bode well for swift regrowth once it’s over.

🚨Cover reveal🚨

Very proud of myself today. A bus trip into town, a haul of M&S picky bits then an Uber home, almost like a normal person. I do still feel like I could split open down the middle at any point, but I’m getting there four weeks post-surgery.

Ended up with four Mothering Sunday cards, which - it’s just occurred to me - is optimistic in two ways (given the recurrence/prognosis rate for my cancer). Oh well, important to be positive.

My mother is very traditional in her preference of Mothering Sunday rather than Mother’s Day. A few years back I bought a stash of cards that I was sure would be enough. But no. She’s 88 and still going strong, so I got another three today.

In my “down” time I am trying to learn German for no particular reason other than it appeals to me. Anyway, today’s lesson feels particularly relevant to my current state of healing.

Incidentally anyone familiar with how robustly healthy I’ve looked since I started chemo, the photo on my latest blog is what I looked like when I was newly-diagnosed. Amazing it took me so long to realise I was actually ill.

Latest blog post - much delayed by surgery. And I continue to be writing in delay, so it’s lucky I have a good memory. Here I muse on the stress of waiting… #ovariancancer open.substack.com/pub/janehill...