THE FORTNIGHTLY EDIT / ISSUE 01 / 8 NOVEMBER 2026

From Persian goldfish to David Bowie, with a little brain fog in between.

Two goldfish that apparently needed their sleep, a David Bowie film that looks a bit different at 50 and a Japanese reed diffuser with a claim on my concentration. Welcome to the first edition of The Fortnightly Edit, about life as only I know it!

A NOTE FROM SAFFRON

Three stories for you.

Welcome! At 51, I’m still working out which bits of getting older are normal and which bits probably need a conversation with my GP.  I love the gym, I am suspicious of most wellness fads and I have discovered that marrying into a Persian family comes with entertaining education.

Every fortnight, I’ll bring you three stories from Saffron & Cyrus. Some will be new, other stories just deserve a second airing, but all come with lived experience.

This week, we’re talking expensive goldfish, the film that followed me into adulthood and whether a lovely-smelling room can do anything for my wandering mind.

I’ve got plenty to say.

Saffron x

01 / EAST MEETS WEST

We bought two goldfish for Persian New Year. Nobody mentioned the £200 aquarium.

When I married into a Persian family, I knew there would be traditions to learn. What nobody warned me about was the financial commitment of two goldfish. What began as a perfectly innocent purchase for our Nowruz table became a £200 aquarium, seven years of fishkeeping and a phone call from my dad that caused quite the misunderstanding while we were in Iran. And it all started with a pet shop claiming the fish were asleep.

02 / MIDLIFE & REINVENTION

At 50, I finally understood why I loved Labyrinth.

I watched Labyrinth so many times as a girl that I wore out the videotape. I even took a photograph of Sarah’s hair to my wedding hairdresser. Clearly, David Bowie wasn’t the only one making an impression.

But when I watched it again at 50, I realised I’d spent decades misunderstanding what the film was telling me. Suddenly, my unfinished fitness course, my fear of being judged and Sarah’s journey through that maze had more in common than I cared to admit.

03 / THE SAFFRON EXPERIMENT

Can a reed diffuser help me focus? I gave it seven days.

My concentration has a habit of wandering off without telling me where it’s going. So when I was offered a Japanese reed diffuser to test, I wondered whether changing the atmosphere in my study might help.

For seven days, AIRY’s Forest Breath shared my workspace with the laptop, my coffee and the usual distractions. H liked the fragrance, Cyrus remained loyal to his Nintendo, but did anything actually change for me? Come and find out! 

Editorial disclosure: AIRY Forest Breath was gifted for an independent review. My experience is not evidence that fragrance can treat ADHD.

THE CONVERSATION

Have you ever revisited something from years ago and seen it differently?

Maybe it’s a family tradition, an old favourite film or something you’ve learnt about yourself with age. I’d love to hear what changed your mind. Leave a comment on one of the stories and tell me.

THE LAST WORD

At 51, I’m still learning. Although after seven years of goldfish ownership, I do know that a tablespoon of fish food is too much.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

That’s your lot for this fortnight. I’m still happiest after a good workout, still learning the finer points of Persian family life and I am convinced most things should be discussed over coffee.

I’ll be back in two weeks with more from the gym, the kitchen and whatever else life throws at us. In the meantime, if one of these stories made you laugh or think, do click through. I’d love to hear your story.

With love from our slightly different British-Persian household,

Saffron x

KEEP READING

More from Saffron & Cyrus.

From Persian recipes that have tested my British taste buds to the realities of midlife fitness, there’s plenty more to explore.

THE FORTNIGHTLY EDIT

Fancy another three stories in a fortnight?

Join me for a fortnightly look at midlife, women’s health, fitness, motherhood and British-Persian family life. Expect honest experiences, and a little humour.

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