Rant about disposable napkins (Apr09)
“Do you ever find it annoying when you’re given wads of napkins and bags you don’t need?”. I was amazed to find this statement on Pret a Manger’s website. The answer is ‘yes – very annoying’. The reason for my surprise was because I think that Pret is once of the worst culprits of napkin […]
Supermarkets vs french markets…. (Sept08)
Even with the wind and rain lashing around our beach hut on the Dorset coast, we had a great couple of days. There were sunny spells and we had lots of visitors. Somehow the weather didn’t matter that much. We stocked up for supplies from the large supermarket in Bridport – but this was more […]
Yeovil to Naples by train (Aug08)
Up to Waterloo and across to St Pancras, we caught the Eurostar to Paris. But most exciting was the sleeper from Paris to Rome. Just my eldest son, Connor and I – we had a cabin to ourselves. And in old-fashioned style had our evening meal in the dining car. The waiter came round with […]
Washing lines in Dubrovnik (Jun08)
Where bombs and missiles fell in the early 1990s, I stood looking at washing lines and cats. Swallows were diving over the rooftops of Dubrovnik in the evening sun – it was a magical experience, perhaps all the more so because I was there for such a short time. My trip to Croatia was arranged […]
Sea Kayaking – Scotland (May08)
I’ve spent quite a lot of time mucking around in boats but surprisingly had never been sea kayaking – that is until the bank holiday weekend. Actually, I was on an outdoor philosophy course, which I discovered meant paddling in the clear waters near Mallaig, in Scotland, by day. And for the rest of the […]
Flying is not much fun (Apr08)
I wonder if the chaos at Terminal 5 may actually be doing us all a favour. For two reasons. The first is that it reinforces the fact that flying is not much fun. It means lots of waiting, ghastly airports and lost bags – or fear of losing them. The second reason is that it seems […]
Easter Holidays (Apr08)
Snow fights and snow men are unusual activities for an Easter holidays. We’ve managed to fit them in around camping – it wasn’t that cold – Easter egg hunts, a rope assault course, dens, bike rides and a trip to London. Went to see Mamma Mia in the West End. With adaptations of Abba […]
Between the Sheets (Apr08)
I spend quite a lot of time staying at hotels or other people’s houses, often for only one night at a time. And I realise that I’m getting quite obsessed about sheets. Well actually, not just sheets – pillowcases, towels, bathmats and anything else that has to be laundered. Most of you will have seen […]
How green is the London Eye? (Oct07)
Much as I love having my children at home, a two week half term at this time of year can be quite difficult because work is in full flow. However, I had a brilliant day in London with my youngest son, Monty, who’s eight. Monty enjoying the view We went to Trafalgar square on the […]
Steamy experience in Istanbul (Oct07)
One of the most fascinating experiences I had in Istanbul was having a Turkish Bath. When I entered the large steamy room and saw the mass of nude bodies on the marble plinth it was like a scene from a painting. And it made me laugh. Naked bodies abound in Istanbul’s baths I joined the […]
The fabric of Istanbul (Sep07)
As my plane turned towards Istanbul I saw the dry landscape below. It was ploughed into fields but there seemed to be no dividing hedges. The only visible green was trees edging the numerous creeks. Apart from that, every inch seemed to have been tilled by man. I don’t know what they were growing, but […]
Eco-holidays in Trelowarren (Sep07)
There can’t be many things more exhilarating than surfing – or body boarding to be more precise. Watching the huge waves rolling towards me, I was among a throng of fellow surfers at Polzeath, poised to catch the best roller, so I could skim on its back towards the shore. The wonderful thing about surfing […]