The first week of January 2026 brought hard overnight frosts and daytime temperatures hovering around 0°C. Heavy snow blanketed the north of the country, but here in Harborough we had only a light sprinkling of the white stuff. The central heating was fired up each morning, and the woodburner in the lounge was lit during… Continue Reading

Over the past few months, I’ve been copying and pasting all my previous blogs into Word, editing them, and in some cases, completely rewriting sections that were clearly not up to par. I set myself this task after being (thankfully) incorrectly diagnosed with bowel cancer, thinking it would make a rather meaningful Christmas present for… Continue Reading

The 17th of October found me in the dentist’s chair, enduring a filling for a tiny cavity that, according to the dentist, would “cause trouble down the line.” Personally, I’m sceptical. That cavity and I have coexisted peacefully for years, and even when the dentist jabbed at it with medieval enthusiasm, there wasn’t so much… Continue Reading

As September began, with the nights drawing in and a chill in the air, the weather took on a distinctly autumnal feel. Daytime temperatures have remained mild enough to avoid abandoning shorts for warmer trousers, but most days have been marked by drizzle. On the 15th, the builders were due to install glass sliding doors… Continue Reading

3rd September 2025 Earlier in the month, we’d had a parade of window installers round to price up some work. The aim: to replace our draughty old curtains separating the lounge and sun room, in the hope of retaining a bit of heat instead of donating it all to the National Grid. Sadly, the work… Continue Reading

10th August 2025 As hosepipe bans began to be implemented in large parts of the country, low pressure appeared, bringing much-needed rain to thirsty crops, lawns, reservoirs and rivers. On the same day, along with dozens of other candidates, Ellis began a walk with a full pack for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. It was… Continue Reading