In an act of pure self-indulgence I bought myself something. I showed it to my daughter and she said ‘Oh, it’s one of those, um, old-fashioned computer thingies.’ A typewriter. My kids didn’t know what a typewriter was but they thought they’d seen one once, in a land far, far away…. My husband just rolled [click here to read more]

I’m on it! And a little bit gobsmacked. I was secretly hoping, yet maintaining a safe degree of nonchalance as I really didn’t expect to be there and wanted to retain some kernel of pride. But you know how it is; the so often half-empty cup we writers nurse so well as we burn the midnight [click here to read more]

Last weekend I ventured north to Birmingham to attend my first BlogCamp run by Tots100. Rather indulgently, I went up the night before and stayed in a lovely, old-fashioned (but in a good way) hotel in the Burlington Arcade, just a kitten’s sneeze away from New St Station, Primani and one of the loveliest Waterstones [click here to read more]

I have invented a new label for myself: I am to become a Social Pescatarian. Let me fill you in thus far: I have been a vegetarian since my animal ethics course at university. Never much of a carnivore to begin with, it was an easy decision to give up meat altogether and at the [click here to read more]

Remember me? It’s been a while…. I have been non-stop for three weeks and it’s been a brilliant holiday! I won’t get out the home-projector and bore you with all the holiday snaps, but I will give you a whistle stop tour of the Easter hols in the Miles household, and this is where my husband and I [click here to read more]

Back in 1981, I was 8 years old. We had our spellings given to us in a tobacco tin, we counted bottle tops in Maths and we were made to stand in the ‘silly circle’ if we misbehaved at break time. So smoking, alcohol and public humiliation all perfectly acceptable. Prince Charles married Lady Diana [click here to read more]

Well, I hope all you mothers out there had a nice day yesterday. I was greeted with a 6am wake-up and, what appeared to be, a pot of snot. Home-made cards = the best. Flowers = lovely Clay handprint = special Pot of Snot = questionable It was from my 4 year-old via nursery and [click here to read more]

When it all gets a bit too much, I think of life as a tennis match. Points, games, sets and match. I wake up before the alarm does. Love-15. Fall back to sleep. 15 All. Child appears wanting breakfast. 30-15. Husband goes to make breakfast. 30 All. Shower uninterrupted. 40-30. Washing machine activated, shower runs [click here to read more]

In case you didn’t know, we have two dogs. First there is Delilah, a somewhat lazy, very rotund choccie lab with breath that smells of rotting fish which can floor you at 20 paces. She is the doggie equivalent of Mr Stink. One huff of the breath of doom and you will be surrounded by [click here to read more]

Months of torrid rain has made this winter into a soulless place. The only silver linings were the clouds; the skies were full of the most wonderful, billowing clouds, often framed with silver as the sun nestled just behind them. I saw rainbows in their midst and we turned their shape into fairy-tales with giants [click here to read more]