Journey to the Catskills:

Fate. I somehow always saw myself ending up (somewhere like) here, even whilst growing up in London. First time I saw the mountains in person, I knew it would happen. Eventually it did.

Vocation:

A communicator of stories; a teacher of music*.

Avocation:

Runner. It was amazing to discover around the mid-way mark of life that I was actually good at something.

Happiness Is:

That feeling you occasionally get first thing in the morning when you feel glad to be alive and bursting to get on with the day. Unfortunately, it’s not an everyday occurrence.

Favorite Dish:

Being vegan, I set my sights quite low when I eat out, and that way I avoid disappointment. At home, I love cooking and baking. For an easy meal, it’s a one-pot mushroom stroganoff (vegan, natch). For taste, it’s the blueberry chia seed gluten-free vegan muffins that are to die for – metaphorically speaking, of course.

Ideal Country Home:

The house we built in Mount Tremper and called home for a decade came close, in that it fulfilled a childhood dream of having a band set-up in the living room, hosting concert parties and playing music as loud as I wanted – a far cry from a narrow house on a terraced row. But ideals are just that – an intangible, and large country homes are a nightmare to keep up. If I did it again, I’d keep it simple, minimal, and somewhat modern.

*Fletcher is best known for his biographies of drummer Keith Moon (for the rock band The Who), and the band R.E.M. Read more about his work at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Fletcher and https://tonyfletcher.net/