The Christmas dinner, lovingly prepared by my mother-in-law, looked delicious – turkey, sprouts, parsnips, chestnut stuffing and roast potatoes. There was just one thing puzzling me. What the hell was that soggy beige sauce on the side of my plate? “What is it?” I mouthed at my husband, who was sitting on the other side of the table. Yes, it was bread sauce. But my mum never served it at ...keep reading
It’s my first post of 2013 and time to look forward. Actually I threw caution to the wind this morning and was rash enough to tell my local radio station (live on air!) that my twin ambitions for the year are to complete my new novel and to learn to speak fluent French. But before I could get started on either, there was the thorny question of when to take ...keep reading
What is it about Christmas trees? No matter how hard I try they just won’t stay straight. I bought a special (and rather ugly) tree stand this year but the tree is still leaning at a Tower of Pisa-style angle. Apart from that, we’re all set for Christmas. I’ve collected the turkey, wrapped everyone’s present and am happily listening to A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, broadcast live from ...keep reading
Twitter was awash with amazement yesterday that Pippa Middleton has signed a deal worth £400,000 to write her first book. And no, she’s not spilling the beans on growing up with her elder sister, the Duchess of Cambridge. She’s being paid to write a guide on party planning for publisher Michael Joseph. They weren’t the only ones falling over themselves to buy the book either. Apparently it was the subject ...keep reading