The warm weather brought everyone out onto the streets this weekend. Even my neighbours have started taking their early morning tea sitting in our lane. I had a disgusting cold but forced myself out of the house and down to Laoximen to explore the lanes in the old town. I had to put a marker… Read More »
Some foreigners here buy everything imported, fruit, veg, meat, the whole lot. All I can say is that they must have more money than sense. There are plenty of scare stories about chemicals on fruit and veg and MSG in everything but I think if you are the sort of person who is fussy about… Read More »
Another year, another St David’s Day bash but this time at the Kemplinski, a step up from the rather tired Peace Hotel. There were companies from all over Wales who had just arrived on the first leg of a trade mission accompanied by a Welsh government minister, Ken Skates, the Welsh poet laureate and other… Read More »
Wow – back after three weeks in the UK and I have managed to get to Harpenden, St Albans, Inverness, Sheildaig, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Stow-on-the-Wold and other Cotswold gems, Ledbury, Leominster, Shrewsbury and London. I have eaten ad drunk and laughed with Jim, Renee, Alex, Tom, Tudor, Teal, Roger, Eleanor, Graham, Pauline, David, Sue, Mairi, Jon,… Read More »
Snow and more snow, that’s what was forecast and sure enough it came down. I got up to find a snowy Tooting Bec and make my weary way trudging through the fresh snow to Paddington where I had planned to have a leisurely breakfast with an old friend and then hop on the Heathrow Express… Read More »
We had a day to kill in Birmingham with my old friend Jon and his family so after some consideration we decided upon a visit to the Sealife Centre. Jon had got some vouchers and so it cost £12 each. A short walk from the Mailbox, along the canal brought us to the place and… Read More »
It’s always nice when I get back to the UK from China and I walk down to the paper shop on a Sunday morning. It all seems so lovely and peaceful and civilised and… English. This is especially true of Harpenden, a typical small affluent town in Hertfordshire with big houses, manicured lawns and gastro-pubs.… Read More »
A Fiat 500 is not big enough for 5 adults and luggage – we already knew this but Jim had taken the risk of booking the cheapest car in the hope that the hire company would upgrade it when we arrived at Inverness. They didn’t and so when we saw the size of the car,… Read More »
I had a list of things to buy including this Apple Mac which I am struggling to work out. Edinburgh seemed like the most sensible place to go shopping and I had a whole day there. The first shop with John Lewis where I managed to buy only one very expensive top and resist everything… Read More »
It has been a very long time since I have been in a kayak – probably on Mull about 20 years ago. We had three of them at the house and all the kit and the three of us decided to go for a pre breakfast paddle before the rest of the house woke up.… Read More »