Welcome to House With No Name. I write about everything from books and films to education, family and France.
The cacophony burst out of nowhere. Dozens of car horns hooted at full blast, a motorcyclist did an impressive wheelie in the middle of the street and wedding guests wound down their car windows and bellowed at the top of their voices. Most bizarrely of all, a man in a sharply cut suit gesticulated wildly from the roof of a Mini as it sped along. ‘Welcome to Marseille,’ laughed my ...keep reading
Fern Britton makes the rest of us seem woefully inadequate. She’s one of the UK’s best-loved broadcasters, has completed a host of mega bike rides across Egypt, India and Cuba (raising thousands of pounds for charity in the process) and recently took part in a series of short films to highlight maternal mental illness in the UK. If all that wasn’t enough, she has also metamorphosed into a bestselling novelist. ...keep reading
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time yesterday, Kate looking stunning in a bright green Catherine Walker dress. Catherine Walker, of course, was one of Princess Diana’s favourite designers, which got me to thinking about the day I bought the most expensive item in my wardrobe. As a freelance writer I spend most of my time in a uniform of Mint Velvet jeans, ...keep reading
A GPs’ surgery is a brilliant setting for a novel, especially when it’s staffed by a group of doctors who all have their own issues to deal with. There’s newly arrived Holly Graham, who’s just moved to Larkford to make a fresh start with her philandering husband (what she sees in him I don’t know). Then there’s handsome Dan Carter, who’s trying to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and a ...keep reading
The news that The Hoxton has opened a new hotel in Amsterdam was a good enough excuse for me. I was looking for a place to celebrate a scarily big wedding anniversary so the combination of The Hoxton, a stunning city and a sunny spell in May sealed the deal. And yes, The Hoxton’s new outpost in Amsterdam is every bit as brilliant as its two London siblings. It opened a year ...keep reading
I’ve been a fan of Lisa Jewell’s books for as long as I can remember. I read her first novel, Ralph’s Party, after the high-brow poet and academic Tom Paulin reviewed it on Newsnight Review in 1999. He unexpectedly declared that Ralph’s Party was “a breath of fresh air,” even though I’m sure it wasn’t his usual reading fare. The Girls is Jewell’s 13th novel and it’s a stunning read, one of her best. The book is ...keep reading
When I was a teenager all the cool girls at my school lived in Wimborne. They wore the chicest clothes, shopped at Chelsea Girl in Bournemouth on Saturdays (the height of sophistication) and unlike the rest of us knew enough boys to invite a whole load of them to parties. So it was a bit of a surprise when I moved back to Dorset to find that Wimborne is actually ...keep reading
How appropriate on the Queen’s 90th birthday to receive the brand-new paperback edition of one of my favourite children’s books – The Queen’s Handbag by Steve Antony. It’s even more appropriate considering that little Mia Tindall, Princess Anne’s granddaughter, stole the show in Annie Liebovitz’s stunning portrait of the Queen with seven of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. How? Because in an apparently unscripted moment, she picked up her great-granny’s £1,000 ...keep reading
“On a hot still morning on a beautiful beach in Jamaica, Decca Aitkenhead’s life changed for ever.” So runs the blurb for All at Sea, Decca Aitkenhead’s haunting memoir about her late partner Tony Wilkinson. This remarkable book recounts his early life (he was adopted by a white couple and grew up in Leeds) and his transformation from a dreadlocked criminal with a history of drug dealing and violence to a much-loved ...keep reading
Barely a week goes by without a new crime novel being tipped for bestsellerdom. Now, following in the footsteps of The Girl on the Train, The Widow and I Let You Go comes another one – and trust me, Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner is a surefire winner. There’s no doubt that Steiner’s second novel is pacy, compelling and very well written but what makes it stand out from the ...keep reading