Blog
Heading for Wales
This year is the first time that my husband and I will not be joined by our two teenage sons on holiday - our eldest will be with his girlfriend's family in Majorca and our youngest prefers to work hard at his summer job to save for a car having just passed his...
Allan Brigham’s tour of Chesterton
Last night I joined Cambridge's popular historian and the city's best known road sweeper, Allan Brigham, for a guided tour of Chesterton - old and new. He's a bit like the Pied Piper and attracts hordes of enthusiastic followers who lap up his every word. Last night...
Susi and her clever “canine partner”
My mother has a disabled badge and it is always a scramble to find a blue badge parking spot when I take her to Asda in Wisbech. However, I was reminded how easy it is to jump to conclusions when seeing a young and fit looking driver behind the wheel and parked in a...
The story of vanishing Dunwich
My walking buddy Heather and I found ourselves making a return visit to Dunwich Museum at the weekend, captivated by the story of how this once thriving town, or even a city, had vanished into the sea, helpless against the force of the crushing waves against its...
Our sinking Suffolk coastline
One of the walks my friend Heather and I had planned to do from a guide book was unexpectedly abandoned - because the footpaths had been swamped by the eroding coastline. We improvised, thanks to Heather's brilliant map reading, and had a very pleasant walk around...
Benjamin Britten’s Aldeburgh
I have just spent the most wonderful few days in Aldeburgh with a dear friend and kind, generous hosts. It's an annual retreat and point of reunion for Heather and myself, a former nurse from Cambridge who now lives in London, and plans to uproot to Somerset. We plan...
Illegal timber harvests, AIDS treatment and bankers’ bonuses – a week in the life of Robert Sturdy MEP
This is Eastern Region MEP Robert's Sturdy's latest report from the European Parliament sitting in Strasbourg, which tackled issues including illegally harvested timber, AIDS treatment and new rules for bankers' bonuses: It is often the case that the plenary sessions...
Norfolk head apponts two head girls – and no head boy!
As a nation we struggle with women in high office. The Church of England is currently in turmoil over the ordination of women bishops, an issue I first highlighted two years ago, the European Commission is considering introducing quotas to tackle gender imbalances on...
Does Brucie’s Fountain of Youth work for you?
My husband's birthday is coming up soon and I did consider buying him The Fountain of Youth which Brucie swears by for keeping him fit and agile; it was given to him by his mother-in-law 27 years ago when he married the stunning Wilnelia who is 32 years younger.The...