My name is Tammy and I'm a writer

Welcome to 'And Another Thing...'

I’m well into my forties (turned 53 last month) and ever since I can remember I’ve been writing.

Lists, short stories, the odd poem (it was a bit odd, I was at Middle School and I can still recite it word-for-word), more lists, my diary/journal, itineraries, strategy documents, scripts for presentations, essays and dissertations, letters, a few more lists, birthday cards, love letters, letters of complaint, emails (so many emails), travel plans, lists of things I want to write about.

And finally, I’ve decided to acknowledge the fact that I’m a writer. I come from a creative family - think artists and actors - and it’s long been a standing joke that the most creative thing about me is my handwriting. Now I’ve written that down I realise that it’s actually only me who has ever said that the most creative thing about me is my handwriting. Talk about self-limiting beliefs, the GOAT of inside jokes.

So, what can you expect from this writer? Regular (at least weekly) posts on a variety of topics from travel itineraries (I love planning holidays as much as I love going on them), midlife career challenges and opportunities (where to begin?) and being a Netball Mom (joyful and exhausting) to my secret life as a fake foodie (love food but am more than a bit fussy), my desperate attempts to find a fitness routine that I actually enjoy and will stick with (for the love of Madonna’s toned arms, help me), gardening (my lockdown lifesaver that still just about keeps me sane) and tales of The Ginger Cats who love me more than anyone else in this house (husband and teenage daughters included).

I can promise quotes, likely lots of quotes, never met a quote I didn’t love; profanity on occasion (if you’re of a sensitive, non-sweary disposition, this might not be the right place for you) and hopefully a place that feels friendly, unforced and a bit of fun. I imagine I’ll be sharing photos and maybe even a video or two once I get braver but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m here, I’m writing and, if you’re still here, thank you, I’m looking forward to this so much.

For now, I’ll leave you with the story behind the name, ‘And Another Thing…’. Back in the late 1990s and very early 2000s I worked for The Independent in London. It was the perfect mix of a job I loved and was good at (advertising sales); very few responsibilities and a small group of work colleagues who quickly became great friends (and still are to this day). We kept ‘All Bar One’ in Canary Wharf profitable with our many nights out, nights when conversations frequently began with the immortal line, “And another thing…” and who knew where it was going to go from there.