Blog
Harriet Harman has a point
Ever since she was elected deputy Labour leader, Harriet Harman has been sidelined by Gordon Brown who failed to make her deputy Prime Minister. She warns her party that Labour's election line-up is too male dominated; she has to stand by while unelected Peter...
A funny sort of Easter
My friend Renate left today after a two-day visit. She is one of my pre-marital friends who I shared many happy singleton days with in Cambridge before she moved to Brighton and wed. I took her to Wicken Fen and we reminisced about our party days as we trudged along...
My meningitis scare
Petra Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One boss Bernie, describes in today's Times her agonising experience when she contracted viral meningitis: "I was in so much pain I wanted to die." She has now become a worthy ambassador for the Meningitis Trust, describing her...
Are you too turned off politics to vote Labour or Conservative?
I've just read this comment on Michael Fabricant's Facebook and feel it sums up how other undecided voters might be thinking right now: "Always voted labour, but not anymore ....will never vote conservative, so who do you vote for? what a dilemma. I feel there will be...
Walking the Devil’s Dyke
I met up with my friend Audrie today to walk along Devil's Dyke from the picturesque villages of Reach to Woodditton. When I meet up with my usual stalwart ramblers, they are equipped in sturdy boots and Berghaus walking gear. I had to blink when I saw Audrie arrive...
Why working in Tenerife is not an MEPs “junket”
When you are an MEP you have to attend meeting throughout the European Union. And that includes Tenerife. So today's story front page "exclusive" splash in The Express, "Climate MEPs live it up in Tenerife" is way off the mark and misleading. My MEP Robert Sturdy is...
UKIP’S immigration poster defaced in Cambridge
There is no racial tension in Cambridge. When I go to Toastmasters, I am always impressed at the way in which half its members make fluent presentations in their second language. It's the last place one would expect to find a UKIP poster promoting its strong...
Loving my new iMac
I wish you could see me right now. I'm like a very excited kid with a new toy. And my new toy is an Apple iMac. Someone told me last week that I was like a man because of my love of gadgets. I'm actually a very feminine woman, but I just love being creative and...
Thriplow daffodils, Morris dancing, and a chance encounter with our woman Speaker
It’s true, the daffodils were scarce at the 42nd Thriplow Daffodil Weekend following our cold winter, but there were plenty of other attractions to remind me of England at its best. It helped that this was a green and unspoilt English village, a mix of traditional...