Try GOLD - Free

A touch of variety to keep life interesting

South Wales Evening Post

|

August 23, 2025

T WAS the English poet William Cowper who gave us the phrase: “Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour,” in his poem The Task.

The idiom “spice of life”is how we describe the idea that doing a variety of different things makes life more interesting and enjoyable.

It suggests that a life filled with diverse experiences, changes, and novel activities is more fulfilling than one that is monotonous or unchanging.

Variety is definitely a word that can be used to describe my past week which started on Sunday when I was invited to speak at a sporting legends celebration at Swansea Minster Church in the city centre whilst later in the week I travelled to the town of Olney near Milton Keynes to be fitted with new costumes for this year’s Swansea Grand Theatre Panto.

Coincidentally William Cowper lived in Olney. His home is now a local museum there which Rosie and I visited during a previous visit.

The museum celebrates the work and lives of two famous Olney residents: William Cowper, the celebrated 18th-century poet; and John Newton, a slave trader who became a prominent abolitionist, who was curate in the local church.

MORE STORIES FROM South Wales Evening Post

South Wales Evening Post

MOROCCAN-STYLE LAMB AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH (Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS: 12 lamb chops, fat trimmed; 500g peeled and diced butternut squash, cut into 2cm pieces; 2tbsp olive oil; 2tsp ground cinnamon; 2tsp ground cumin; 2tsp ground coriander; 1tsp dried chilli flakes; salt and freshly ground black pepper

time to read

1 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

South Wales Evening Post

Goodbye to Wal, a friend 'closer than a brother'

Mal Pope is a songwriter who co-produced the film Jack To A King, about the 10-year rise of Swansea City FC

time to read

5 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

South Wales Evening Post

Pier drama sparks big emergency response

A MAJOR rescue operation was launched at a popular Welsh beach after reports of an individual in the water late on Thursday evening.

time to read

1 min

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

Hospital corridor care being 'normalised'

PATIENTS are being treated in store cupboards, break rooms and toilets as so-called corridor care becomes the norm in Welsh hospitals, the Senedd has heard.

time to read

2 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

South Wales Evening Post

Blow to Reeves' growth drive as UK economy shrinks again

THE UK economy contracted by 0.1% in October, marking the second month of consecutive decline, as businesses held back on investments due to ongoing speculation about potential tax increases in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' second Autumn Budget.

time to read

2 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

Shining a light on 'invisible' ME crisis

THOUSANDS of people in Wales are \"invisible\" to society and living behind blackout blinds unable to bear light, sound or touch the Welsh Parliament has heard.

time to read

3 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

UK settling for a tight Christmas

THE proportion of people planning to splash out this Christmas has shrunk sharply compared with last year, research suggests.

time to read

1 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

Cannabis op family told to pay back £1m

A FAMILY from the south of England who moved to an isolated house in West Wales to set up a huge £3.5m cannabis factory have been ordered to pay back more than £1m in ill-gotten gains.

time to read

4 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

Last-minute plea by man with airport revamp plans

COUNCIL chiefs are granting a long-term lease to the operators of Swansea Airport despite a last-minute plea from a businessman to market the site to other bidders.

time to read

4 mins

December 13, 2025

South Wales Evening Post

CIAO EMILY

LILY COLLINS TALKS TO LYNN RUSK ABOUT FILMING IN ITALY AND WORKING WITH MINNIE DRIVER AS EMILY IN PARIS RETURNS... TO ROME

time to read

4 mins

December 13, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size