A lifestyle blog
Some stories land quietly in your heart and never leave. For me, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is one of them and if we have been friends for years you will know how much this story means to me. How often I talk about it, recommend it and generally love it. I am lucky enough to have met the author Rachel Joyce a few times, and to read all of her
Few wine regions conjure up as much quiet reverence as Burgundy — especially when it comes to whites which is why I would say white Burgundy is my favourite wine. So when a curated case of white Burgundy arrived from Naked Wines, featuring names like Dominic Hentall, Benjamin Laroche, and Christophe et Fils, I knew we were in for something special. Before diving into the wines themselves, it’s worth understanding
I have always considered myself a fairly competent human being. I can cook a meal without setting the kitchen on fire, dress myself without assistance, and maintain basic hygiene—at least, that’s what I thought before I had carpal tunnel surgery. What I failed to realise is that once you take away the use of one hand, the world becomes a far more complicated place. If you, like me, are about
Few dishes have a name as intriguing as funeral potatoes. This creamy, cheesy potato casserole has long been a staple of American comfort food, particularly in the western United States. Despite its somewhat sombre title, funeral potatoes are not exclusively reserved for sad occasions. They are equally popular at potlucks, family gatherings, and festive celebrations. I hadn’t heard about them until Mr B sent me a DM on instagram (he is
The Great Big Dinosaur Show is a joyous, riotous celebration of all things prehistoric, and my four-year-old granddaughter absolutely adored every minute of it. From the moment we took our seats, we knew we were in for a treat. The atmosphere was electric, with children buzzing with excitement, eagerly awaiting what was to come. And it did not disappoint. Led by poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko it is loosely
There are lots of reasons to visit Winchester. It is after all the ancient capital of England, famous for its grand cathedral (which once had a diver fixing its foundations), King Arthur’s legendary Round Table (which, let’s be honest, isn’t that round), and the high street where you can buy everything from antique books, artisanal gin and over a hundred different teas at Char. It boasts medieval history, literary connections,
Ah, January. The month that drags on forever, filled with cold, grey skies, failed resolutions, and an overwhelming sense that we should be doing better. But what if January isn’t the fresh start we’ve been led to believe? What if, instead of fighting through the gloom, we just accepted that this month is a total write-off and started the new year properly on February 1st? As it turns out, this
When I was ten we were skiing in St Anton and in a rare navigational snaffoo we ended up on a short black run. Having fallen over in a small dip I sat on my bottom crying, and steeling myself to walking uphill for the last bit. Dad skied down to meet me and immediately sat down in the snow. He opened his jacket, took out a
1.08am. Tick tock. Tick tock. A shout at 1am saying Dad’s breathing has changed sees me running down the landing of my parents house. By the time I get there a nano second later, his breathing is back to his new normal. I perch on the stool telling mum to get more sleep, I’ll carry on the watch so she can rest. Glad now I bought new pyjamas. Dad was given a terminal diagnosis
Let’s face it, the weather can’t make its mind up at the moment and making plans to do anything outside is problematic. We have had four seasons in the past three hours alone, from thunder so loud it shook the house to it now being so sunny that I am tempted to go and sit in the garden for half an hour. And I would if the cushions on the
I don’t know about you but I have never been away somewhere before where it was possible to experience daylight 24 hours a day. It still blows my mind that if you fly to the Faroe Islands from London in the summer it takes just two hours and you can do exactly that. It also means you wont sleep for a week because you will be lying in bed saying
I will be honest, the Faroe Islands was never really on my radar until Bruce spotted that Atlantic Airways flight directly there from Gatwick over the summer, and you can do it two hours. Previously it had meant going via Copenhagen but the idea of being able to get there in just two hours suddenly made this other worldly group of 18 islands seem much more attractive. Having spent a
