Ladies who lunch.
Not quite singing for my supper but I was talking for my lunch last week at the Lee-on-the-Solent golf club with a fascinating group of very welcoming local ladies. One lived just around the corner, another had served with the…
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PERSONAL TAX Stay alert: HMRC warns of Self Assessment scams HMRC has received reports of more than 4,800 Self Assessment scams since February 2025, with more than 135,500 suspected scam reports made in the past 10 months. Scammers often mimic HMRC, sending fake tax demands or refund offers to steal personal information. Ahead…
National year of reading: another John Steinbeck recommendation
If, like me, you ever served in Naples with NATO, you may remember the big AFSOUTH HQ on the mainland. We Navy-types had our own separate COMNAVSOUTH HQ on the tiny island of Nisida – just down the road, past…
Even a blind person…
Yes, I do flower arranging too. Here’s a simple hand-tied posy which works well with those hollow-stemmed tulips and daffodils. Just a bit of greenery and some tape to hold the lot together. Simple! And January is the time to…
Happy New Year to you
Catering for 9 here went like clockwork thanks to the “Christmas made easy” booklet. All hot, delicious and on time. And that was while struggling with the latest cold/flu/whatever is making the rounds. But the disaster struck on Sunday 28th:…
Christmas Greetings from the sous-chef and me.
Tracks of my life. I think it’s a bit like Desert Island Discs for us who can’t see. Me nattering on about my life with some of the music of memories. I’m looking forward to hearing it for the first…
National Talking News Federation Dinner 2025
Bought two big bags of black cocoa recently to use in making the homemade drinking chocolate. Cocoa makes the smallest proportion after real chocolate and powdered milk. But the impact of this processed black variety seems to have been devastating…
International Day of PLUs.
Yes, even disabled people like me have their day! Take a moment: you almost certainly know someone with a life-changing condition. After all, we make up about a quarter of the population hence People Like Us! There are more…
Catisfield still remembers …
Local historian Doug Gladding’s book commemorates Catisfield residents who died during the Second World War. It is now housed in a specially-commissioned display case at the Catisfield Memorial Hall, mirroring the original roll of honour for whom the community facility…
If this blind veteran can do it, so can you! For a glorious and relaxed traditional Christmas lunch, here are some incredibly straightforward recipes and the cooking countdown that will make those festive celebrations a breeze. There are also…