The Ritz hotel in London is a British icon that has stood on Piccadilly for over a hundred years. Beloved by politicians, film stars and royalty, it overlooks Green Park and is a short walk to the Royal Academy of Arts and, beyond, Piccadilly Circus. Famous the world over for it's opulent Louis XVI decor, it is the kind of place that little girls dream of going to for afternoon tea, the kind of place Downton Abbey fans would love to spend the … [Read more...]
5 Minute Kedgeree
Kedgeree is a dish with mystical ties to the Old World when Britain could lay claim to half the world's land and it was perfectly normal to wear boned corsets in 100 degree heat thousands of miles from home. Even uttering the word conjurs up images of The Colonies and reminds me of the beginning of the classic children's novel The Secret Garden. Essential it's a rice dish that uses a onions and spices and a boiled egg. If Stephen Fry and the … [Read more...]
Back to School Grief
I imagined that my life would change last year. I imagined that I would learn to live with the grief I felt when my baby started school. I imagined this year I wouldn't feel the loss so keenly. Yet once again I am struggling to hold back the tears. The Girl that made me a Mamma has crossed the divide between Infant and Junior, to Year Three, bringing with it a uniform change, a routine change, a length-of-school-day change and … [Read more...]
Things they don’t teach you in ante-natal class
Things they don't teach you in Ante-Natal Class: You will feel completely powerless to protect your child even in absolute safety; that there are no words to describe the depth and breadth of feeling of utter terror at your powerlessness in times of acute danger. The home you know and love in the country you know and love may suddenly become the seat of all that is evil in the world. How to make the impossible decision to abandon all … [Read more...]
Seven microwave meals you can make in a mug
The weather in the dying days before school starts could best be described not as Christmas in July, but winter in August. Instead of the scenes of parenting bliss- kids outdoors from dawn to dusk playing on the trampoline or swing, sitting reading in a quiet corner of the garden, drinking milkshakes, eating homemade ice-lollies and running around in swimsuits having water fights- I anticipated at the beginning of the holidays, they are instead … [Read more...]
Home Exchange FAQ
If you read Ten Reasons you should try Home Swapping you will undoubtedly have questions. I get asked a lot of questions about the home exchanges that we do from people who are either curious or genuinely very keen, and so I thought I'd do a Home Exchange FAQ to help answer some of them. 1. Do people get to look in your underwear drawer? The first question always relates to underwear. And I would say yes, they do- or rather they could. But also … [Read more...]
Ten Dog Instagram accounts you should be following
I am biased. We are a dog-loving family. I wanted to share my dog so much when we first got her that she has her own Facebook page. Now, eight years down the line, there are many many platforms on which to share your dog's antics, and Instagram is one of the best. I recently discovered that in times of crisis, my Dimpled One can be brought out of a tantrum, soothed after a fall or distracted from pain by a scan through social media and … [Read more...]
