April 2025
I am so annoyed! I hadn’t had a bet on the Grand National for many years. But today I thought I’d have a flutter. A tenner each way on any horse that took my fancy. I scanned the runners and riders. Around 35 of them with the usual array of colourful and amusing names. One I remember from years ago was called
February 2025
Our village book club has proved a big hit since it started some 15 years ago. In that time we have read more than 100 novels and short stories, ranging from classics like Moby Dick to amazing short stories like The Time Machine. But few have given us more pleasure than one written by one of our members.
January 2025
Enjoying a Christmas drink and chat with PERA chairman Simon Lillystone I was amused by his story of an unexpected encounter with Sir Stephen Fry. Simon was attending an awards ceremony in London. On entering the venue he was surprised to be greeted by the polymath and comic. ‘How wonderful to see you,’ said Sir Stephen,
December 2024
Samuel Pepys kept his diary for 10 years between 1660 and 1670. It was a tumultuous time. The Restoration of the Monarchy with King Charles the 2nd, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. Pepys had plenty to write about and a fascinating read it is too. He only stopped because he feared for his eyesight after years
November 2024
A miserable, wet and cold evening this week and I’m settling in for a warm night in front of the TV. A knock on the door. Who could this be at 7pm?
June 2024
I’m always full of admiration for all those hard-working, enterprising people who are up before the crack of dawn to provide a service. Like the lovely ladies at Amanda Jane’s in Queen’s Square who get up at 2am every morning to travel to London to buy fresh fruit. Not up quite that early but still daft o’clock is the Old Town’s newest entrepreneur, Lesley.
December 2023
Chasing cheap petrol prices seems a bit of a fool’s game. But it’s surprising how many people do it, me included. Why drive 10 miles to find petrol that costs a few pence less when the saving is swallowed up by the cost of getting there. But since Asda took over the old Co-op garage at Cupid Green, I have no need to drive any further. At 137p a litre it’s cheaper than even Tesco
October 2023
It’s not often that you’ll see a real life scene depicted in The Twelve Days of Christmas. Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, probably never. Nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, rarely. But seven swans a-swimming, yes!
August 2023
This month I’ve been on the trail of apricots. They’re my favourite summer fruit but finding really sweet and juicy ones is sometimes hard.
July 2023
I first remember seeing John Motson at the Hollybush in Redbourn at least 20 years ago. He lived in Harpenden at the time and was a regular there, minus his famous trademark sheepskin coat.
Being a football fan I was rather excited to come across him some years later holding court at the Crown & Sceptre at Briden’s Camp.