Real life
I have moved into a house in Ireland I viewed once, then bought
With families chatting in the seats around me, a young girl knitting across the aisle, I gripped the arm rests.…
Brits are complex and prickly – I’m excited to get to Ireland
‘We’re in the living room with a roaring fire, there’s not a sound for miles, it’s wonderful,’ said the builder…
Why are vegans addicted to replica bacon?
Queueing behind a young woman in the supermarket I became fascinated by the items she had placed on the conveyor…
In defence of cows
‘They’re going to have to stop cows,’ said my mother, looking doubtfully down at her plate as we tucked into…
Our favourite beach has been destroyed
‘Ukraine Family – Welcome You,’ said the ungrammatical sign at the entrance to the car park of our favourite West…
Concrete, marmite and jam: the fight against Ulez
‘We’re renegades now. We’re outlaws. Bandits.’ This was my assessment as the builder boyfriend pulled up outside the house in…
Is it really possible to get Covid for a fourth time?
‘I can’t go through this again!’ I groaned, as I lay in bed encased in icepacks, one on my eyes…
Have millennials sunk my house sale?
We were about to exchange contracts when I got a call from the estate agent to tell me that another…
How builders plan to get round the Ulez charge
‘What a worry the Ulez must be for you both,’ said a friend with a nod to the pick-up truck…
Will I have to forcibly flood my house to sell it?
‘Come on, let’s get a move on with filling in all the forms and we could have this done and…
I am escaping Surrey in the nick of time
As I slapped a rude note on a car parked outside my house, I realised that nature was taking its…
The problem with posh dog food
Having loaded the last sack of working dog food in Surrey into my car, I slammed the trolley back into…
How I incurred the wrath of my iPhone
As I sat down to dinner in a lovely old country pub my reservation was cancelled by my iPhone, which…
Maybe the village will be sad to see us go after all
‘You certainly gave us a run for our money,’ said the village elder, serving us with what appeared to be…
The Co-op can keep its no claims discount
When I received an email from the Co-op telling me they had made a mistake with my car insurance, and…
Canine manners have gone to the dogs
‘Do you want me to put my dog on the lead?’ shouted the woman on her phone, as she came…
