Category Archives: England

Shakespeare in the Rain

Posted on September 12, 2018 by

An English castle. A late summer evening. A production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. A handful of talented actors. An outdoor stage. A picnic tea. An eager audience. A night to remember. Illyria is a group of touring players, … Continue reading →

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Don’t Count Your Chickens or Cooking Your Chook

Posted on August 29, 2018 by

The first time I watched a hen’s demise for culinary purposes was in Nepal. We were staying in a remote rural village, being treated like royalty, when our hosts offered us chicken for dinner. At the time, we didn’t recognize … Continue reading →

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Summer Days in Shoreham

Posted on August 14, 2018 by

There is a rather pretty little path between the villages of Otford and Shoreham in north-west Kent that cuts across the golf course and is largely shaded by overhanging trees. On a 30-degree day in August, this is a blessing, … Continue reading →

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Eating Peaches

Posted on June 4, 2018 by

I grow old … I grow old … I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the … Continue reading →

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Layers of London

Posted on February 14, 2018 by

I have been mooching around London this week, while the One & Only is fully occupied being busy and important in the City.  I have wandered for hours, past Monopoly board properties – Fenchurch Street Station, Fleet Street, Piccadilly and … Continue reading →

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Living it up in London

Posted on October 10, 2017 by

Earlier this year, I spent an unusually sybaritic week sightseeing and overindulging with a friend from the Philippines on her first trip to London: Hampton Court (food), Harry Potter World (food) and Harrods (and more food). Then there was a … Continue reading →

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History Upended

Posted on August 30, 2017 by

A birthday. I forget which one. I was probably about ten. A card arrived from Australia with a $10 bill inside. There was a financial exchange with my father, a trip to the local bookshop, a new book: The Children of … Continue reading →

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North Yorkshire: then and now

Posted on August 8, 2017 by

Once upon a time, my One and Only set out to walk the Pennine Way. This is a challenging, long-distance track that lumbers painfully up the spine of England from Edale, in Derbyshire’s Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales … Continue reading →

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A Classic London Market

Posted on June 8, 2017 by

London has a veritable cornucopia of markets: from Camden to Covent Garden, Brick Lane to Brixton, Spitalfields to Nottinghill and Petticoat Lane, these popular markets attract shoppers from all over the world. Last Christmas, staying downstream from the Tower of London, … Continue reading →

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Sunday Morning on the Broads

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

            A lazy long weekend, a boat, a bag of snacks, and hot, hot sun. Marbled water strung with pearly bubbles. Branches dipping low to sip at the rippled wake from passing boats. Boat houses, … Continue reading →

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