Category Archives: Uncategorized

The promise of sitting outside under sunny blue skies and the need for a sunshade suddenly translated into real time in the first week of July. Although I do long for a stretch of warm and clement weather, I flop over like a rag doll when the barometer climbs above 26 degrees. My brain overheats […]

Back in central London after our rural rides, I found myself walking up Bond Street, surrounded by dinosaurs. Am I getting into the dinosaur era myself now? There are some wonderful clothes around, which I am obviously too old to even consider. But I’m still alive enough to appreciate them on other leggy, glamorous models, […]

We set off in driving rain. Just out of London on the M4 there’s a spooky petrol station, where I always feel caught up in a time warp. It’s blocked off by trees on all sides, eerily silent and never busy. The sort of place where time stands still – in a creepy sort of […]

These two months weather patterns have merged into one – one which could be described quite simply as miserable. A couple of days have escaped to be bright but I only remember two which were sunny AND warm, without a biting wind. ‘It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and […]

I dread being in large groups of people – nor do I like shouting slogans – but Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘Fish Fight’ had me putting a poster in our car. I support 100% what he’s trying to do, both with ‘discards’ and now with trying to persuade the government to create many more marine conservation areas […]

Snow had been forecast but I didn’t believe it until I drew the curtains back on a white world. But good – no need to drive anywhere this weekend. John would continue writing his book and I would only venture a paw or two outside. It was cold enough to keep the heating on. All […]

When a friend rang suggesting a walk together, I thought of the somewhat ‘rural’ towpath leading from Barnes to Hammersmith. But then I remembered the day before… as I crossed the bridge into Barnes by bus, I noticed that high tide was way up over the path. The thought of deep mud put me off […]

After the waterworld of Christmas, New Year’s Day was inspiring with blue skies and brilliant sunshine, which we toasted with a walk across Barnes Bridge followed by a sparkling glass of champagne. Boats out on the river and everybody and his dog tramping along the muddy banks of the Thames with smiles on their faces. […]

Not much seems to have improved on the economic front this year but the Christmas lights in central London, though still not quite as elegant as the Champs-Elysées, do have their own special aura. Whoever decides on what lights to choose has themselves been well chosen. I shudder at remembrance of times past and much […]

I was waiting for a friend outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square – clouds were scudding across the sky – the weather was fitful, fretful, undependable. A gust of wind flung a spit of rain across my cheek and pulled at my hair. The exhibition we were about to visit was about the man […]