A lifestyle blog
Want to know why I have a problem with the new CR-UK obesity campaign? I will tell you. It is based on statistics that state obese people outweigh smokers in the UK by 2:1 and that whilst smoking is still a leading cause of cancer, being fat is the leading cause of four types of cancer: bowel, liver and kidneys. But we all know that statistics can be manipulated
Next month I turn 50. A whole half a century. In a summer that saw Woodstock and moon landings yours truly arrived into the world in a hospital in Roehampton. It was the summer that Bryan Adams would go on to sing about and as he was buying his first real six string in a five and dime, playing it til his fingers bled, my parents were working out
Important Home Improvements Most People Forget to do This year, I have vowed to get everything in the house finished. A lot has been done already. But, now that each room is nearing completion, I can see things we have forgotten. I have added them to my to-do list, which I am still keeping and using on a daily basis. But, talking to friends it is clear that they have
Sorry, I know that might be a bit of a downer and that nobody ever starts a conversation with “can we talk about death for a minute?” but can we, please? I am a huge champion of having a will. Everyone should have a will, even if you think you don’t have a home or assets, you do have “stuff”. It doesn’t have to be about expensive pieces
The gift of cheese, to my mind, might just be one of life’s greatest gifts (unless you are vegan or lactose intolerant and then it might be a bit of a nightmare). When stuck with what to buy those tricky to buy for people I always go down a foodie route. One of my granny’s favourite ever present was a hamper full of a selection of small bottles of
Is your garden summer ready? This post contains an item sent for review. Summer has to be around the corner somewhere, doesn’t it? It can’t keep on raining for much longer, surely. I can’t believe that with the longest day next week we are still in a position where the big light has to go on before teatime and when I think I can get away with it
Alcoholic miniatures I am talking about. Five reasons to love alcoholic miniatures. You can buy them for just a few Pounds and the reasons go beyond just wanting a small drink. We have a whole stash of miniatures (though mostly gin, I have to admit) thanks to my doing Ginmas for a few years so I thought I would tell you why I love them so much. Small enough to
Dear Tanya Gold Well this is weird, I kinda feel like I am writing to myself. Maybe I should explain, or at least introduce myself. This is an open letter to you, Tanya Gold, from me, a woman who shares the same first name as you but I fear that might be where the similarities end. I had the misfortune to read your latest piece in the Telegraph
We love having guests coming to stay, it is why we bought a house with a spare bedroom, even better if they are last minute guests. We wanted relatives to come for the weekend, to be able to stay over at Christmas, friends who have moved away to be able to come back. Or for friends that come for dinner and enjoy more than one glass of wine to
I have been to Mottisfont at least half a dozen times now and yet I have only been in the house once. Why? Well because no matter the season the gardens here are stunning, and I say that as somebody who’s own garden is an expanse of grass and weeds. These top two pics are of the kitchen garden, just outside the walled garden and they are just coming
We were invited as guests of the hotel for the purpose of this review The Cotswold House Hotel and Spa is one of those hidden gem hotels. You know the ones. The ones you want to talk about but at the same time you don’t want too many people to know about it because you want to keep it a secret. It also has one of the most
Top tips for revision For some students this time of year is about exams and the end of studying, it certainly is in this house. For others it is about the beginning of a summer of study ahead of a new term, or maybe doing some important resits. Either way some top tips for revision and summer studying might come in useful. Make a timetable Break the day