Jamie and the family’s Australian adventure showed no signs of slowing down, featuring impromptu flights, boat trips and encounters with the local indigenous wildlife. It seems they were determined to tick off as many unforgettable experiences as possible before heading home. On the 5th, Charlotte, Suraj and Ellis invited us over for Sunday lunch and,… Continue Reading

On a day when a heatwave was forecast to scorch its way across Europe, I carried out my annual charitable duty by waiting on tables at Marston Trussell Hall in support of a charity that helps fund a local Montessori school. The event is organised by rugby pal Jim Crawford’s wife, Kate, together with Peter… Continue Reading

Several months ago, I received a text from my GP surgery inviting me to join a clinical trial evaluating a vaccine designed to help prevent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) infection in adults aged 65 and over. C. diff is a serious bowel infection that can cause severe diarrhoea, particularly in older adults… Continue Reading

The 8th of May was wonderfully sunny, albeit a little cool, perfect weather for getting out and about and enjoying some vigorous activity, which is exactly what Sue and I did. While Sue met up with our former neighbour, Viv, for a cycle ride down the disused Lamport railway line, followed by lunch at the… Continue Reading

Over the weekend of the 18th of April, Jamie and Ruth travelled to London, where he hosted a party for his BD clients while also celebrating his birthday. They stayed at The Langham, Portland Place and marked the occasion with a meal at The Dorchester. Around 20 of his clients attended the BD party, meeting… Continue Reading

On the 20th of  March, I planted broad beans and onion sets at the allotment. Later that afternoon, Sue had a one-hour session with a medium organised by our children, while I took Nala for a sunny walk into town. I remain sceptical about such things, although I listened in occasionally via our Google Home… Continue Reading

Much like the start of the year, March got off to a poor beginning. Donald Trump’s uncanny ability to bankrupt and corrupt everything he touches has now extended beyond casinos and the United States Constitution to the wider world. His war against Iran, however superficially justifiable, is ill-conceived and prosecuted with scant regard for the… Continue Reading

On the first sunny day for many weeks, 28 January, Sue and I drove to Waltham on the Wolds to see Jamie and Nala. Ruth was at work in Derbyshire, and Joey was in school. After coffee and a good chat, we made our way to the Black Bull in Market Overton for lunch. It… Continue Reading

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