Another day, another survey – only this time round I reckon that researchers have got it just about right. A new study by estate agents Hamptons International declares that if you want to combine affordable living with high levels of happiness then Allerdale in Cumbria, which covers the area around Keswick, is the place to go. Close behind in the happiness and affordability stakes is the Ribble Valley in Lancashire – ...keep reading
The world was a different place when my first novel, Hard Copy, was published back in 1998. The internet was in its infancy, my laptop was the size of a sewing machine and when I sent an email I had to follow dial-up instructions running to two sides of A4 paper. Even then I rarely succeeded. I began writing the book when I enrolled on Manchester University’s MA in novel ...keep reading