Blog
What to do when you get a shock demand for thousands of pounds from the taxman
I read about my PR buddy's dilemma on Facebook. She was in shock having received an unexpected - and unwarranted - tax bill for £20,000. I really felt for her. But Sheila Kiggins' story does have a happy ending, the taxman finally resolved matters, but only after...
Adoption should not be a last resort
I'm thrilled to see philanthropist Francesca Polini in today's Times promoting a fairer adoption system both in the UK and internationally. Francesca and her husband Rick went to Mexico to adopt two babies after being turned by their local authority in Ealing where a...
The Mumsnet Rules
I wish Mumsnet had been around when I agonised over bringing up my kids. The best part is knowing you are never alone with problems, that a national - and international - community of mums are online for a chat. Their pearly words of wisdom are now available in a new...
Why can’t Annunziata Rees-Mogg stand as a Tory MP?
Would you consider putting yourself up for a dream job a second time which you had previously lost, particularly having experienced the harsh unpleasantness that can be par for the course? After reading Annunziata Rees-Mogg's account in today's Sunday Times, I...
Are you saving for your future care home?
How many of us give a thought to saving for a care home when we become old and vulnerable? In today's cash struck society, it's tough enough keeping a job and paying everyday bills, keeping our heads above water. And, of course, we don't think we will need one while...
Was your Olympic bid successful?
Our family is one of the tens of thousands who missed out on having our bank account emptied overnight to pay for Olympic tickets. I was keen to see diving, while my husband was geared up for athletics, cycling and boxing (he thought boxing would be a dead cert as...
Grantchester Meadows on a rainy day
I wasn't going to let a little matter like the grey sky and drizzle stop me from strolling through Grantchester Meadows today. I was bursting to once again enjoy this lovely unspoilt countryside which meanders along the Cam. While the bathers may have been absent,...
Baroness Thatcher and family life
Nobody knows what goes on behind any family's closed doors. We are given a glimpse of Baroness Thatcher's family life today in this Andrew Pierce's article where he paints a distant relationship with her children, twins Carol and Mark, and little contact with her...
Seeking a new Headway CEO, and racing ahead with Hayley Turner
Headway Cambridgeshire, the charity I support for its wonderful work providing rehabilitation for adults with an acquired brain injury, is seeking a new CEO. It is a successful and thriving organisation with a dynamic business plan. We have been very fortunate in...