What’s the thing most people talk about in the UK? Well, at the moment it’s possibly Brexit, though it’s banned in our house as I can’t bear to discuss it. However, a safe topic many of us resort to when meeting strangers or having chit-chat, is the weather. It’s part...

Bajan Breakfast Banana Bread, Smoky Mexican Bean Soup, Ah Yeung’s Sweet and Sour Fish, Tian Provencal, Cypriot Pastitsio, Alabama Peach Crisp, Nanny’s Fresh Orange Layer Cake … the list of delicious recipes from home and abroad sets my taste buds tingling. I’m enveloped in the foodie delights of Lavender and...

‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ is the title of an extremely moving documentary by New Zealand film director, Peter Jackson. They Shall Not Grow Old tells the story of British Soldiers enlisting to fight in Europe, many lying about their age to go save the world. It was commissioned by IWM...

Want a relaxing holiday in the sun, with excellent food, good quality accommodation, great beaches, the warm Mediterranean Sea, a fascinating history and something for all ages to enjoy? The Turquoise Coast, also known as the Turkish Riviera, in western Turkey, ticks all the boxes. It’s also very good value for money....

The smell of freshly-baked bread mingles with the enticing aroma of chocolate, almonds, coffee and fresh flowers. I’m sitting by the window in the Three Hares Café in the little town of Sedbergh, just 10 minutes off the M6 in Cumbria. I’m on the first stop on a day following...

The sound of classical music drifts around walls decorated with golden pears. A pile of books including one by local author Hunter Davies and a cookery classic by Mary Berry are piled in a colourful heap on a table by the window.  A pot of white cyclamen heralds a spring...

A short while ago I got a brand new Ford Fiesta from Pye Motors in Morecambe. You may not think this is a big deal, but I have never had a new car until now and most of the cars I’ve had were at least a few years old when I...