‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe’ has got to be one of the quirkiest openings to any piece of literature in the history of writing … Jabberwocky, penned by Lewis Carroll, first saw the light of day in 1871 when Through the Looking...

The piper walked slowly across the sand, bagpipes clasped under his arm, the sun glinting off the water as the haunting sound of the Skye Boat Song drifted across the bay. New Year’s Day on Dhoon Beach in Dumfries and Galloway. I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be....

As life increases its pace, many of us stressed out with all the places we have to be, people we have to see and the things we have to do. What you need is a special gift to soothe your mind, body and spirit and improve your well-being Here are a...

I was getting a crick in my neck but I couldn’t stop gazing up at the enormous golden Buddha, silhoutted against a vibrant blue sky. He gazed out across the town, oblivious to the people below. The searing afternoon heat shrouded me in a humid embrace and the scent of...

As summer drifts into autumn, fruit is in abundance, not only in our gardens and allotments but also in grocers and supermarkets. One of the easiest ways to use up a glut of fruit is to make jam. Plums are full of pectin that makes jam set easier, so here’s...

Nk’Mip Desert Centre, Osoyoos, Canada In today’s non-stop world of digital input and 24 hour news, with people stuck for hours at a PC or almost permanently attached to a smart phone, many of us struggle to find time for ourselves. External pressures create stress and mental health issues are...

What’s Easter all about?  As I arrange small colourful eggs in straw nestled within a wooden trug, the sounds of the Eucharist service from Manchester Cathedral tumble out of the radio; a beautiful voice celebrating Christ’s resurrection.  Teenage son struggles to wake up from a late night’s X-Box playing and can’t...