I started writing my blog in 2011 and I’ve never had such a long gap between posts before. But even though I’ve written thousands of journalistic words this year I couldn’t bring myself to post a blog. It seemed inconsequential and pointless during the pandemic and anyway, it always got banished to the bottom of the to-do list, along with paperwork, tidying up my office and sorting out the massive ...keep reading
January isn’t my favourite month of the year. It’s cold and bleak, Christmas bills are flooding in and it’s tax return time too. To make matters worse, I’m doing Dry January. Actually, I do it every year – a habit dating back to my Evening Standard days, when most of the news room gave their livers a much-needed rest for four whole weeks. But in amongst the January gloom there’s ...keep reading
If you have a penchant for wartime sagas you’ll enjoy At Long Last Love, Milly Adams’s latest novel. Adams excels at creating characters you really care about and Kate Watson is no exception. The novel starts in July 1942, when feisty nightclub singer Kate is scratching a living in bomb-blitzed London. I was enthralled by the juxtaposition of Kate’s rackety London life and her demanding work as an air raid ...keep reading
My room at The Pig on the Beach had everything a hotel guest could wish for. Stunning décor, a view across the sea towards Old Harry Rocks and a rolltop bath strategically placed by the window to enjoy the amazing vista. I was so determined to make the most of my one-night stay that I even set my alarm for an hour earlier than usual. When it went off at 6 am ...keep reading
After the excitement of December 25 – parties, presents, carols, turkey, twinkling lights and all – the days between Christmas and New Year can be a bit of an anti-climax. That’s why my mum came up with the tradition of treating us all to a family lunch at a favourite restaurant on Boxing Day or the day after. We went to Summer Lodge in the pretty Dorset village of Evershot for ...keep reading
Christmas is almost here and thank goodness for that. After a tempestuous year the festive season has arrived in true 2016 style – heralded by wild storms and lashing rain. The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for the UK and in this corner of Dorset 50mph winds are battering the coast. But apart from that, we’re nearly set for Christmas. My husband will be on the Sandbanks ...keep reading
There’s nothing I like better than discovering a new Dorset café. So en route to the garage – my car had broken down again – I was delighted to find The Bakery at Poundbury, the posh-looking village designed by Prince Charles on the outskirts of Dorchester. The Bakery has been open for three years and is part of a chain of six (the other cafés are in Lyme Regis, Exeter and Plymouth). ...keep reading
Like loads of other parents I’ve got an empty nest again. My son has been home from university all summer, give or take the odd trip to a festival, a Deliveroo job (none of us ever realised how hilly Bournemouth was before) and some eye-wateringly intense bike training. But now he’s back at university and the house feels very quiet. The bikes have gone, the slack line has been dismantled ...keep reading
There are times in life when only chocolate will do. Last week’s stresses included a son training for a scary bike event, a book to finish and a bill for a car exhaust – so I definitely needed a slab of Dorset’s best chocolate. I hotfooted it along to Chococo’s Swanage emporium and snapped up a selection of their gorgeous handmade chocs, which were devoured (by three of us, I ...keep reading
What a peculiar day. The sun is blazing and the beach is packed with holidaymakers. As they saunter along clutching ice creams, buckets and spades they seem oblivious to the excitement building at the far end of town. The scene is very different outside Swanage railway station, where a gaggle of teenage girls have clambered on to the wall to gawp at their heartthrob. A few yards away, a seasoned ...keep reading