From Desert Island Discs to The Archers, I’m an avid radio listener. Given the choice between the radio and TV, I’d choose radio any day. Depending who’s on I constantly criss-cross between BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 live. I love Tony Livesey on 5 live Drive. The one-time editor of the Daily Sport is genuinely funny but never gets in the way of a breaking news story. I’m ...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
The Christmas tree is up, festooned with decorations and, thanks to our wonky wooden floor, leaning at a jaunty angle. One of my favourite moments of the festive season is opening the cupboard under the stairs and hauling out the dusty ragbag of baubles, hearts, stars and angels we’ve collected over the years. They all have their own history, from the glittery heart my daughter’s teacher Annie gave her in ...keep reading
One of the best things about living by the sea is having to catch a ferry to get home. Sandbanks Ferry clanks back and forth across the entrance to Poole Harbour three times an hour, linking glitzy Sandbanks to peaceful Studland, with its miles of unspoiled, sandy beaches and remote heathland walks. Five years after moving here I’m as fascinated by the ferry as ever. It has been operating since ...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
It’s exactly two months since we moved to Dorset and the chaos continues. There are still boxes to unpack, change of address cards to send, curtains to make (not by me – I’m the most cack-handed person ever) and pictures to hang. I’m slightly worried that if I don’t crack it all by Christmas then I never will. I’ll be so used to clambering over boxes, wearing clothes that have ...keep reading