The Year Dot 2026

  I met a man at a party.   He said "I'm writing a novel"   I said “Oh really?   Neither am I”   ( Peter Cook) I have always been interested in writing but lack of confidence has prohibited me.  When I was a child I used to love writing stories, I devoured Enid Blyton books and was always interested in Mysteries.  I never really pursued a career in this art though.  When my second child Matthew was born I took a writing course from The Writing School, London, it was a home study course that claimed you could earn the cost back by the end of the course or they would give you your money back.  Did I finish the course dear Bloggie?  Of course I did not, I did keep the course materials for many years though as the course claimed that there was no expiry time, thinking maybe one day I will finish it.  I remember writing articles on various topics and sending them off to magazines but with no success.   Emily Emily Hobhouse...

 Valentines Day I got my first Valentines day card when I was 13, inside it was just marked with a mysterious ‘X’.  All day at school I wondered who had sent it.  I looked around the classroom at any possible candidates and fervently hoped it was none of them.   It had arrived in the early post just after Dad had left for work, -remember those days when the post came early in the morning?  It was perplexing, obviously it was someone who knew my home address.  In my egotistic youth I was so excited to think I had a secret admirer.  I had recently just started going to discos and youth club with friends and was well on the way to discovering boys and quite prepared for my first boyfriend, or so I thought,  after all, the Jackie’ magazine had been preparing us teenyboppers for that every week.   When I got home from school, I lay on my bed and stared up at David Essex, and David Cassidy and dreaming about my first secret admirer. ...

Martin and I on the top of Cat Bells The Lake District The Lake District National Park is situated in Cumbria in the north of England.  It is one of the most beautiful places in England with its high fell often snow-topped views interspersed with beautiful meandering lakes.  Full of cagool toting walkers with sticks striding heartily around.  Almost impossible to navigate alone during the summer high season.  We choose this time of year because, although often wet and snowy it is a quiet time so walking and can be a real pleasure. Martin’s sister Claire suggested the holiday along with  brother Andrew.  So six of us went out everyday.   We stayed in Keswick and our first foray was a mild no-hill 8 mile walk alongside Derwent Water Lake.  We packed marmalade sandwiches because we hadn’t really stocked up yet and so glad we did.  By the end my feet were killing me.  But it was all worth it for the peace and  serenity of the lake. Derw...

 Storm Chandra Woke up on Tuesday in the middle of a howling gale and our latest storm this time called Chandra and my heart sank as I remembered I have a hair appointment in Plymouth with my hairdresser of 20 years, Amanda.  I was worried because I had cancelled my last appointment a couple of weeks ago because of the stormy weather.   I was disappointed to miss having my hair done, usually a few highlights and a trim.  I have always suffered with my unruly hair and can still hear my grandmother admonishing me with the words “brush your hair”, my husband Martin  says the first words he heard from my father when he was introduced to him back in 1982 was, “what’s that mop on your head?”  The ‘mop’ was just my unruly hair.  So when I found Amanda in Plymouth in the late 1990’s I found the answer to control it.  I had gone to her for a perm in a vain attempt to control my ‘mop’.  When I returned a couple of years later for a trim, (I wasn’t in t...