Short stories are my absolute favourite form of literature (and writing – joint with poetry!). Utterly cluttered are the marginalia of every short story I consume/inhale. The gentle and explosive rhythm of the narrative; the way the plot unravels in the story; the twist potential; the preoccupation with time and the ability to give the impression of time expanding as the story is contracting; the heavy, heady significance of every carefully chosen word; the fact that you can be absorbed in several stories within an hour of reading…
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Ooooof – lasagne. Lazy because it’s melt in the mouth tender meat and full of vegetables, slow cooked in a dreamy rich tomato sauce and then tucked up under blankets of pasta. Toasted cheese is the top eiderdown.
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It’s almost Christmas time! I’ve put together a Christmas gift guide from a mix of independent shops and department stores in Surrey. Here goes:
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Between the age of 13 and 18 I seldom got spots. And then, when I was 19, a mere 3 weeks before starting university, I suddenly got a number of big, bright red blemishes that wouldn’t go away. I knew I had to do something as I didn’t want my confidence knocked just as I was going to meet lots of new people at uni. Although I didn’t quite manage to completely ‘cure’ the spot situation, I got it under control using these products. Phew!
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Mary Berry is set to launch the RHS Wisley Christmas shop on Thursday 20th November from 5.30pm by opening the store and signing books. I had a quick frolic (much like a festive gazelle in a Christmas shop) last week and it’s super, with plenty of bells on.
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I went to Box Hill for a bit of a sunny Autumnal ramble.
Box Hill shot to international fame in the 2012 Olympics as it was the stage for the cycling event. It left something of a cycling legacy to Box Hill, with bike enthusiasts regularly making their way up and round the challenging circuit. Even Boris Johnson cycled through Box Hill for the Ride London event last year! Although sadly unicycle sightings are scarce.
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My blog has been entered into two categories in the National UK Blog Awards 2015!
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A mouthful of apple and blackberry crumble is Autumn to me. The rich, tangy sweetness of apple and blackberry with a crispy top is absolutely delicious. But of course, you know that already!
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It’s getting cold outside and your skin might be feeling stressed by the vagaries of chilly weather. But dry hands and chapped lips needn’t scream (if they could!). Anyone who says they don’t like the Autumn effect needs to meet these products ASAP…
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I went to Winkworth Arboretum in Godalming for a jaunty jaunt to see the glorious changing colour of the pullulating trees in crisp Autumn sunshine (if you think that’s an exhausting sentence, then think of it as foreshadowing the photographic action in this blogpost). It’s an absolutely beautiful place to visit. At 110 acres, you will walk far amongst the trees that were thoughtfully planted to paint a nourishing vista, with vibrant ambers in between brilliant copper foliage.
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