Category Archives: Uncategorized

The new complex of Kings Cross, St. Pancras and the Eurostar is a marvellous transformation. Industrial Victoriana heralded a new, wealthy age for Britain but also one where pollution belched from chimneys, covering buildings in coal fired black grime and contributing to poor health, as people were drawn to cities for work. Beautiful, high quality […]

Butterflies have been few and far between in our London garden this year. A few cabbage whites, which have the disadvantage of ruining your cabbages but otherwise, only a small blue one from time to time. They are too fast to photograph. Just a flash against the blue of the sky and they’re gone. We […]

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. […]