The wide Dorset sky is bright blue today and in a minute I’ll be off to the Purbeck Literary Festival to hear the fabulous Jill Mansell talk about her new book, You and Me, Always. The weather looks so glorious that I’m planning to eschew the car, wrap up warm and walk the mile or so to the Grand Hotel, the clifftop hotel with breathtaking views across Swanage Bay. By the ...keep reading
The five days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve seem oddly quiet. After the mad rush to get Christmas sorted – the tree decorated, the flurry of last-minute presents bought and the kitchen cupboards stuffed to the gunnels – everything goes quiet between December 27 and December 31. Our Christmas guests have departed on the ferry, my 20-something children have headed off to see their pals and the remains ...keep reading
My husband’s face went pale when I told him the news. Stunned at the revelation, he hurriedly started making plans to be “otherwise engaged” over the weekend of December 1 and 2. The cause of his horror? After a gap of two years, the Tour de Trigs is back. And back in 44 days time. In fact one of the Tour de Trigs organisers helpfully left a comment at House ...keep reading
Oh dear. It’s that time of year again. With the leaves already turning brown (very early this year) and our teenage son grumbling about going back to school, my husband’s begun training for the Tour de Trigs. If you haven’t heard of this extraordinary event, it’s a gruelling 24-hour orienteering hike through the wilds of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. Just to make it extra-challenging, it’s held every December – when ...keep reading