Category Archives: Uncategorized

Weather patterns are bizarre at the beginning of this year – blowing hot and cold – somewhat like the menopause, when hormones go awry before settling down into a new phase of life. Is the planet middle aged, I wonder? Or are we, as a species? Unsettled Nature is not particularly pleasant to experience but […]

John was off to see ‘The Three Musketeers’ in Paris. They run a company called Ecovadis. The meeting was on a Thursday – perfect, I thought, to extend to a weekend exploring the city. But I never find it easy to combine work and leisure, partly because I’m only in charge of the latter and […]

We drove up to Marylebone to collect a painting and three photographs, framed by Railings. They are to be highly recommended as framers. The day was unsettled and on the way home we were racing against a stormy sky on our left, whereas out to the right, brighter weather beckoned. Driving westward, we were chasing […]

It’s like being at the eye of the storm. When I am lying looking at her, she dissipates my anxieties and while I know that the storm rages all around me, I am in a safe haven where I can just ‘be’ for a while. I love her calm, graceful pose and elegant dress sense […]

John had to leave for Banz Abbey, near Nüremburg, early on Sunday 20th November. I opened the curtains to find everything shrouded in fog. Although he got to Heathrow on time, there was a very long wait on the tarmac, and he was to miss his connecting flight from München to Nüremberg. Luckily, he managed […]

The average temperature has been so mild this Autumn. There are yellow Welsh poppies and primroses flowering in the garden and the magnolia stellata’s buds are very fat already. I hope they won’t be frosted. It would be sad to lose those delicate white flowers in the Spring. My neighbour gave me a pot of […]

I was on tenterhooks about this trip. We had booked it almost a year before to ensure getting a place, even although I was doubtful about my inclination to seasickness and my lack of any sort of thermostat as the barometer rose above 25degrees. I need not have worried as these paled into insignificance when […]

I was waiting impatiently at the bus stop by the river, mulling over the French homework I’d just finished at speed before leaving home. You can see the bus’s progress from far up the river road. There is usually an enormous youth in baggy pants standing waiting at this time, so I know I haven’t […]

Another foray into France via the tunnel. Christine had been singing the praises of ‘lovely’ Dieppe for months. The last time I’d been there was as a schoolgirl of seventeen, taking the boat train from Victoria via Newhaven/Dieppe and then onwards to Strasbourg. In my mind, Dieppe remained gloomy with heavy seas and bleak buildings […]

I am not one to rave on about restaurants – best to leave that to the biting wits of A A Gill et al but I really wanted to flag this special birthday evening up as it turned out to be a huge success. I must also (modestly!) note that I had cut out something […]