Forget Paris in the springtime. Paris in the autumn is far more fun – especially when it gives you the chance to stay at the latest addition to the Hoxton fold. The Hoxton Paris is less than a mile from the Gare du Nord, a half-hour walk if you’re trailing a suitcase on wheels. So after getting the first Eurostar out of London on a dreary Tuesday morning we were ...keep reading
The French capital fell silent today, in tribute to the 130 victims who died at the hands of the terrorists in the Paris attacks. Blue, white and red flags fluttered from every window as survivors, relatives of the dead and political leaders gathered under a wintery sky for a remembrance ceremony at Les Invalides. It’s still hard to comprehend the terrible events of Friday November 13. But one thing’s for ...keep reading
Three days after the horrific terror attacks in Paris I can’t stop thinking about those who died. Their faces stare out of the front pages – smiling, full of joie de vivre and heartbreakingly young. Like most people, I’ve spent hour after hour listening to the radio, unable to concentrate on anything else at all. The newspapers have done an exemplary job, reporting on the manhunt, interviewing the bereaved with sensitivity and ...keep reading
What a week that was. I don’t know if it’s anything to do with us but since we moved to the Dorset seaside there’s been one storm after another. But they all paled into insignificance compared to Friday night’s tempest. Sitting in my first floor office I felt as though I was in a lighthouse. The wind and rain hammered furiously against the windows and the gale was so deafening ...keep reading
Two little children were jumping up and down on the kerb, excitedly clutching homemade banners emblazoned with the words “you can do it.” I half wished I’d brought a banner along myself – just to cheer my husband and teenage son on their way. It was noon on Saturday and while most sensible people I know were looking forward to a weekend of Wimbledon or soaking up the sunshine my ...keep reading
Not long to go now. After a year in Paris studying at the Sorbonne my daughter will be home in two weeks time – and I can’t WAIT to see her. The last 12 months have been an amazing experience for her – and I’ve enjoyed it vicariously, via emails, texts, very long Skype calls and yes, quite a few trips across the Channel. And one thing is for sure, ...keep reading
Victoria Beckham looked frozen as she watched her husband make his debut for Paris St-Germain last night. I’ve just spent two days in Paris and I’ve rarely felt so cold. The temperature never lifted above -2 degrees, there was a biting wind and flurries of snow fell all weekend. My daughter wore three jumpers and I kept my Brora fingerless glovesand scarf on indoors and out. We had to dive ...keep reading
I’ve been longing to see the movie of Les Misérables since last spring, when I unexpectedly stumbled on to the film set during a visit to Greenwich. With filming due to take place the following day, I couldn’t quite work out how the giant stone elephant and extraordinary pile of old wood, furniture and rubbish the crew had built next to the Old Royal Naval College would look in the ...keep reading
The hall’s full of bike bits, there’s a ton of washing (make that two tons) scattered across the floor and a well-thumbed copy of The Cyclist’s Training Bible is propped up on the kitchen table. It can only mean one thing. Yes, my son’s back from his first term at university and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t know why, but I was worried he might be different. But he isn’t. ...keep reading
As regular readers will know, my student daughter is at university in Paris this year. She’s settled into a flat on the Left Bank and, three months on, her French is pretty fluent. She says she still sounds English but that’s hardly surprising. Unless you’ve spoken French from the age of two or three it’s impossible to sound completely français. I’m trying not to be a clingy parent, I really ...keep reading