As the title suggests, this is a thoughtful and deeply personal collection. It is in one sense a backwards glance over the last few years, at journeys taken and places visited- some exotic, some prosaic. There is a letter from a distant lover, postcards from Spain and holiday snaps from America, as well as souvenirs from Belfast, Cheltenham and Liverpool. On a sadder note, the book can be read as an elegy for people no longer here - whether mourning the death of an ex-wife in 'For Joyce Henri, New Year 1988' or reflecting the grief of a city in 'The Bell'. There are other voices too, from the characters of Willy Russell's plays, gathering to celebrate his birthday, to a heavy-breathing phonecaller. And, of course, there is humour - often wry, mostly hopeful, occasionally dark, but always present.