Whatever is happening to our economy? I don’t really get too bogged down in politics but just want to understand the financial implications of what is going on. First, we had the soaring cost of gas and electricity. Here the…
This week’s speaking engagement is at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton – the home to the “Saints” football club. Visually impaired people from all over Hampshire will be discovering ways of making life easier. I’ll be talking at 14:15 on…
Listening to the committal of HM the Queen, I remember St George’s Chapel at Windsor from several conferences at Windsor. One could visit the Chapel for Evensong at the end of long days and it was daunting to realise one…
St Peter’s Church at Titchfield is truly ancient (originally built in 680 AD and the oldest church in Hampshire) when the village was an important seafaring centre. Last weekend, supporters of the precious building held their annual jazz event at…
Two great chocolate mousse recipes feature in my world tour cookbook and I used the simplest (just chocolate and eggs) for this summer party. Friends were with me to celebrate two very mature birthdays and at least four wedding anniversaries (from…
Even being totally blind for over 20 years, the prospect of a guide dog was never persuasive. A warm, cuddly companion who could give me new freedom to roam was very attractive. I could bear the costs if the hound…
Bottling is the order of the day: tomatoes, damsons and even green beans! Tomatoes are easy: wash, remove stalks, cut in half, pack tightly into a preserving jar with a couple of teaspoons each sea salt, thyme leaves, a teaspoon…
I don’t often get incensed but was listening to a glibly naïve and patronising piece on the BBC Radio 4 “Today” programme about the million people who decided not to go back to work after Covid. They’re part of the…
The sous-chef has just extracted his summer harvest from the hives. The trick is detailed preparation and delicate choreography: clearing bees from the honey boxes (known as supers), lifting wooden frames of sealed comb to a special tray for removing…
I spent three very happy years in Naples, Italy, as the newest Women’s Royal naval Service Officer (WRNS) around the time of the 1980 earthquake. Michael Dibden’s super detective story, “Cosi Fan Tutti” captures the vibrancy and vigour of the…
