Dolly Alderton/Pandora Sykes

[Mbella]

I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that Pandora is not a good writer. Her book was virtually unreadable. She uses long words where short ones would do and doesn't offer any particular insights. She doesn't get many articles published either, as far as I can tell.

Dolly can write quite well but NO WAY is she in Ephron's league - she doesn't have the life experience, insights or heart. Despite her being quite warm and thoughtful on the podcast I find her writing, at least in her books, quite cold.

 

[Patchoulipops]

The comedian was Loyd Griffith. I followed her since the Style dating column days and they appeared on each other’s Instagram at the time

 

[et5]

The ponds are definitely included!

ETA: it was their calling absolutely everything 'vital' that first made me stop listening to the podcast.

I just discovered this thread so thanks to whoever made it and sorry for replying to a post from months ago!

With reference to Dolly finding her bad traits cute it's an upper class thing. You see it in Boris Johnson/other Tories too. They view their incompetence at basic tasks as a funny quirk because they have been indulged their whole life but it's actually a glaring flaw that should be rectified. They don't have the self awareness to recognise it.

ETA: I've quoted the wrong bit but I'm referring to @maketheswitch post about Dolly telling anecdotes about various disasters she finds herself in.

 

[ceebs233]

The comedian was Loyd Griffith. I followed her since the Style dating column days and they appeared on each other’s Instagram at the time

Just googled him - wtaf!

 

[rockhoppernroll]

Just googled him - wtaf!

NO WAY!
I also really enjoyed Ghosts. Took me a while to imagine it wasn’t just about Dolly, but found it enjoyable fluff.

 

[Patchoulipops]

If you scroll way back on his Instagram you can see her there a few times in 2015 - I checked I hadn’t remembered it wrong!

 

[ceebs233]

Ah you have me on a nostalgic read of her old columns, some very nice reads now that you can read them with a better overview of what happens next etc

 

[Cloak]

The comedian was Loyd Griffith. I followed her since the Style dating column days and they appeared on each other’s Instagram at the time

Ahhh. I must’ve confused them because they’re both punching!

 

[New-casettes]

Weird first threat post, but I went on a few dates with Lloyd Griffith a few years back, and he’s charming, funny and really nice. Not the handsomest man, but that’s not really what counts. So I can see why Dolly would go out with him.

Sadly some of his friends waged a public harassment campaign against a lovely friend of mine. Not a reflection on him as he had nothing to do with it, but a reflection on that set.

 

[AbsolutelyFine]

If I’d had to put money on it, I’d have put her with some cravat wearing Jack Kerouac lite. Think it’s good she doesn’t have a set type- he looks like he’d be a laugh (after a quick google!)

 

[ceebs233]

Weird first threat post, but I went on a few dates with Lloyd Griffith a few years back, and he’s charming, funny and really nice. Not the handsomest man, but that’s not really what counts. So I can see why Dolly would go out with him.

Sadly some of his friends waged a public harassment campaign against a lovely friend of mine. Not a reflection on him as he had nothing to do with it, but a reflection on that set.

Eek that's a crazy story. Very sweet of you to back him and you're right, looks are a pointless yardstick by which to measure a person, he does seem like a good laugh. Sorry about your friend, I hope she's okay after that!

 

[New-casettes]

Eek that's a crazy story. Very sweet of you to back him and you're right, looks are a pointless yardstick by which to measure a person, he does seem like a good laugh. Sorry about your friend, I hope she's okay after that!

She has a thick skin and mostly couldn’t understand why they were so relentless. It was going on for years. I think they publicly said they were stopping finally this year.

Being kind and amusing are much more important than being chiseled in my opinion.

 

[Bonjour92]

exactly! I have friends who are doctors who bragged about giving birth without an epidural, I just will never understand this!

Just reading up on this thread and 100% couldn’t agree with this more! I gave birth 2 monts ago and specifically asked for an epidural upon arrival - best decision of my life! I LOVED giving birth painfree and would do it again any day

 

[Love_hate_small_town]

If I’d had to put money on it, I’d have put her with some cravat wearing Jack Kerouac lite. Think it’s good she doesn’t have a set type- he looks like he’d be a laugh (after a quick google!)

I used to be convinced that she was going out with John robins (post Sara Pascoe)

 

[emm]

Just reading up on this thread and 100% couldn’t agree with this more! I gave birth 2 monts ago and specifically asked for an epidural upon arrival - best decision of my life! I LOVED giving birth painfree and would do it again any day

I have never had children but would 100% do the same, why reject modern medicine and force yourself to be in pain when unneccessary?! One of my friends' in laws were really "disappointed" in her for getting one for her childbirth (she hates them so their opinion meant nothing anyway )

 

[Cloak]

I have never had children but would 100% do the same, why reject modern medicine and force yourself to be in pain when unneccessary?! One of my friends' in laws were really "disappointed" in her for getting one for her childbirth (she hates them so their opinion meant nothing anyway )

Oh for gods sake! How DARE they hold that opinion, let alone make it public! I’m glad she didn’t take any notice of it, they sound like a nightmare

That is one (of many) things that concerns me about having children: all the judgement! Everyone seems to love sharing their opinion on how you’re “doing it”, must be infuriating!

 

[emm]

Oh for gods sake! How DARE they hold that opinion, let alone make it public! I’m glad she didn’t take any notice of it, they sound like a nightmare

That is one (of many) things that concerns me about having children: all the judgement! Everyone seems to love sharing their opinion on how you’re “doing it”, must be infuriating!

That's what all the people I know who have been pregnant tell me, even strangers just feel the right to critique your food choices etc in a way noone would in any other situation, ridiculous

 

[Shutterbug99]

I'm a fan of Dolly's writing, and I think she comes across as a nice person for the most part, but I was a little underwhelmed by Ghosts. I mean, it's fine, but nothing special, a bit repetitive in parts, and then just petered out to nothing at the end. Also, the neighbour story line that others have mentioned, didn't work for me. Hmm. Maybe my expectations were too high. I enjoyed her memoir, and I did think that a few of the stories were repeated here (hen parties, weddings) etc. This book is very much in her comfort zone, which is fine for a debut novel, but I feel like she has a better book in her. In my expert opinion, lol.

I pictured Nina's friend Lola (she of the 'look at me!' outfits) as Dolly throughout the book. She was probably my favourite character too. The men in the book are awful!

 

[caz87]

Agree with most here, just finished the book. Easy reading, fine. A few far fetched stories, the neighbour, awful. Would any teacher really have a FB appreciation page, hmmm. Seemed wound up pretty quickly in the end. I also like
Dolly and her writing generally, hopefully she comes back with something better.

 

[Love_hate_small_town]

Oh for gods sake! How DARE they hold that opinion, let alone make it public! I’m glad she didn’t take any notice of it, they sound like a nightmare

That is one (of many) things that concerns me about having children: all the judgement! Everyone seems to love sharing their opinion on how you’re “doing it”, must be infuriating!

The judgement is real but I’ve found it only tends to happen when I volunteer info and then EVERYONE had an opinion. It helps that I have a ‘feck right off’ expression on my face a lot of the time. Also the worst are first time mums who are suddenly an expert (I was probably a total dick too). I tend to only talk about my kids to my husband and immediate family and I don’t put them on social media at all so I think some of my far flung friends forget they exist and we can still chat a out normal stuff.

You know sometimes there is that person in the office who you find out has kids and you never realised? Well I aim to be him/her but without the office as I work alone. Not that they aren’t the most important thing to me but I still want to be me and not make a ton of people feel tit/bored/ bored shitless.

The pain relief thing starts with the midwives who were amazing but definitely (in my exp) pushed the no drugs option. Epidural freaked me out so I was never going to have that but by the time I was begging for drugs I’m childbirth I was told it was too late. If j in did it again I’d take the drugs.

I’ve heard people say “I didn’t take anything but I’ve got a high pain threshold” which also massively pisses me off and make me feel crap for not handling it which I realise is stupid.

I liked Pandora’s podcast rec this week ‘you’re wrong about’ - it’s a great podcast.

Still confused about the regular nature tangents. I love a bit of nature but it’s so boring when they read out an article about how a seahorse moves to an underground warren or whatever TF.