Let’s go out tonight….

This is something that I should do more of – a nightly walk in the neighbourhood.  It is full of magic that we perhaps do not see in the day.  I know it is full of magic, because I saw that reflected in my children’s eyes when they were little, whenever their father said, “Let’s go fox-hunting!”

They would take their precious torches and walk the streets of our neighbourhood, ready to shine the light on urban foxes.  There is this lovely Christmas advert from John Lewis capturing the same magic:

This is my lovely hometown Portsmouth on a cold winter’s night a few days ago.  It is surreal and hauntingly beautiful, with the street lamps making yellow pools on the deserted, narrow cobbled alleys. My partner and I wrapped up warmly and went for a long slow walk and finishing up at a small pub on the seafront called Still & West in front of a roaring wood fire.

But anywhere can be magical. When I lived in Jakarta, I used to walk in the evenings in Kemang: close your eyes to the noise and pollution and I found sweetness there too, amongst the trees and silent houses and people on the streets.

So let’s go out tonight, wherever you are in the world ❤