Blog
The loss of a beloved son
I am deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of six year old Ivan Cameron and send my sincere sympathies to his devoted parents, Conservative leader David and his wife Samantha. The young boy, who had cerebral palsy and epilepsy, became ill overnight and was...
Celebrating brains
I think Gail Trimble is tremendous, not just for her brains, but for her modesty, warmth and humour too. And she is good looking. I can see no reason why in this day and age, her intelligence should become a sexist issue, and that men might find it off putting. The...
Feeling sorry for James today
James has been given an after school detention for playing snowballs at school. Admittedly, he had been asked not to, and 10 minutes later was found still doing so. I was informed about this in a letter which James brought home from school just before half-term break...
Are ramblers and farmers friend or foe?
I experienced my first difficulty today as a rambler. Thirty of us were enjoying the great weather and scenery around Wimpole and following our leader through a woodland path. Suddenly, we were confronted by a man with a large dog who told us we were not on an...
What Jade Goody and I have in common
I wonder how different Jade Goody's life would have been if she had known where "East Angular" was. "I am intelligent, but I let myself down because I can't speak properly or spell," was one of her most touching statements from Big Brother back in 2002. That sentence...
The economic recession and women political candidates
At a time when more women should be encouraged to become parliamentary candidates, I fear they may be even more deterred by the severe economic downturn. Contesting a parliamentary seat is an exhausting task and financially crippling. The immensely dedicated Robert...
The nonsense about labels with country of origin
It seems a nonsense to me that every item of clothing I am wearing states its country of origin on a stitched in label. I'm afraid to say they come from less than glamorous locations -my favourite fuchsia pink cardi from M & S was made in Vietnam, while my black...
Tolly’s flowers, raffle tickets and poor pensioners
I pulled out my husband's winning raffle ticket last night and didn't know what to do. "He bought it fair and square, it's his prize," said fund-raising officer Tracy who was standing next to me. "He's always lucky, he always wins raffle prizes. The week...
Comic Relief and TwitterTitters
Fellow scribe and twitterer Linda Jones has had a brilliant brainwave - to gather a collection of new comedy for Comic Relief via Twitter which will then be published to raise cash. She has been thrilled with the positive response since her announcement earlier...