Months and months of cold and damp (and snow too), then all of a sudden, there’s bird on the wing and grass riz. My favourite season because, just for a while, I can persuade myself that there’s going to be an endless period of wearing shorts and loafing about during long balmy evenings. Balmy, I said. […]
Why I love getting the sleeper
My favourite way to travel to London is by sleeper train. It gives me a sense of how Harry Potter felt when he pushed his trunk and owl-laden trolley into the other world of platform 9 3/4. Instead of being pursued by a vast bearded man on an enchanted motorbike though, I just need […]
The Great City Swap – monkeying around in Edinburgh
We did this in 2016, it’s time for a return visit to the zoo. It’s a refrain nearly as common as “muuuum, where is my….?” and it’s one that’s often harder to find an answer to. It’s this old chestnut: What are we going to do today? It’s particularly challenging in the Palace of Bundance because […]
How To Ensure A Restful Sleep
For many of us, the idea of falling asleep in a timely manner and staying asleep is but a dream. Late night shifts, jet lag, and good old insomnia has left many people with only a fraction of the amount of sleep they need. But no matter how difficult you find it, there ways to […]
4 Traits Of Successful Writers
Successful writers don’t become huge sensations overnight. It takes them years of perfecting their skills and practising their trade to get truly good at what they do. If you’re thinking of becoming a writer or are one and want to improve your abilities, then you’ve come to the right place. There are four essential traits […]
Go Ape Aberfoyle: Hanging around in the trees
“Go Ape,” the signs urge all the way through sleepy Aberfoyle on a slightly damp Sunday morning. It’s hard to imagine the crimplened coach passengers (the only others on the main road at the time) going even a very little bit monkey. Pondering this we – Boys One, Two and I, arrived at beautiful […]
What can I say to new bloggers?
There was a time when I thought I was a dab hand at blogging. I even wrote a book about it. Half the book was about how blogging makes you feel better – a form of therapeutic writing if you like. And the other half was about how to do it. Now, I’m still totally […]
Housework is a feminist issue
Nearly joking One of today’s jobs A woman’s work is never done. Barefoot, pregnant and chained to the kitchen sink. Maybe that’s a joke, a cliche that’s old hat, but not entirely… Survey after survey show that women do the lion’s share of domestic chores regardless of how much paid work they do. They […]