Last night’s wine-tasting at the WI proved to be our most popular event yet. This is perhaps no surprise when you consider that the tea-tray at our monthly meetings generally sulks forlornly in the corner. Our thirty or so members tend instead to opt for wine to lubricate the evening. The ‘Oxford Butler’ coped admirably […]
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When junk-modelling goes bad
My children regularly pour out of playgroups and school with all manner of junk-modelled ‘art’. Most of the time I manage to seamlessly tidy these creations directly into the recycling box, but occasionally I’m forced to give them house-room for a while. A couple of weeks ago the girls produced an extraordinary collaborative effort made […]
Chipping Norton Literary Festival
Just one of the sensational decorations createdby our stylist Cristina Colli It would be terribly crass of to review one’s own literary festival, but as the last six months have been pretty much dedicated to organising it, I can’t let Chipping Norton Literary Festival pass without a small acknowledgement. Chipping Norton has a population of […]
Dear Johnnie
Dear Johnnie Boden It all started innocently enough between us, didn’t it? That forgiving wrap dress you sent me a few years ago, the vest top that just seemed to go with everything… But Johnnie (oh, darling Johnnie!) this simply can’t go on. I can’t deny I’ve encouraged you. I could have just picked up […]
Swimming Pool Etiquette
I like swimming. Despite being incapable of putting my head under water without a panic-attack, I find the repetitive nature of swimming deeply relaxing and excellent for thinking. It is also the only time I am ever separated from my iPhone, which is in itself a positive thing. The only downside to swimming in a […]
Making Time
Last September I gave up my full-time job in favour of part-time freelancing from home. Life had become too frenetic, too stressful, too full, so the plan was to put the family first and take a break for a while. Sure, I’d have to work – that gin won’t buy itself, you know – but […]