This time last year, full of wine and good cheer, I somewhat foolishly made the promise to (by midnight on 31st December 2013) achieve 50 tasks in the year of my 50th birthday. So, with one hour to go until the clock strikes 12, how have I done? 1. Take Italian lessons in readiness for […]

The moment I arrived at Gare-Du-Nord station in Paris last weekend, the memories of my last visit to that very same station came flooding back. It was the summer of 1982, the weather was hot and humid. The heat was overbearing. I was completely broke and hungry as I had spent every penny I had […]

NB. If you have a spare few days with nothing to do, go and visit the Minack Theatre. We stayed at the Camilla House B&B – a great find and only about a 20 minute drive from the Minack. A massive thank you to my sister who joined me on this trip (despite having very […]

I can’t quite believe that it has taken me four months to write this blog as it was one of the most enjoyable tasks on the 50by50 list. I had never even heard of the Minack Theatre in Penzance when it was recommended as a task to include by one of my colleagues. The theatre […]

Working in a school has its advantages. There are many hidden talents and plenty of great opportunities to learn new things – Visit the Hindu Temple in Neasden It was an honour to be welcomed into this beautiful and sacred building on a visit with our Y4 class. The Temple is a sight to behold […]

As a child, Enid Blyton’s Famous Five was like an extension of my family. I lived through each and every adventure with them and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a new story. I have never lost my love of reading and I like nothing better than to immerse myself in a good book. […]

August – An interesting article was written in the Telegraph entitled ‘Top 50 tell-tale signs of aging revealed’. Here’s the link – 50 tell-tale signs of aging I can’t quite believe it but I did number 48 in August. I won’t let slip how many others I can say ‘yes’ to. It’s depressing! September – […]

The celebration of my birthday continued well on to the end of the month when I returned to my Irish roots and visited Inchydoney Lodge & Spa in Cork, Ireland. This fantastic hotel caters for angels and sinners alike. The clean-living hotel and spa is linked (by a dimly lit, highly secretive corridor) to a […]

AN APOLOGETIC WARNING: There may be a flurry of emails coming through. My 50by50 year is almost up and I need to get blogging! Well, I’m almost there. I have resisted the urge to burn the plastic this month (what a month to choose!) My credit card company has phoned me twice in a panic […]

I knew that the rolls of flab on my stomach would work in my favour one day. I have just managed to wedge a hoola hoop between them and keep it twirling for a minute so that’s another one off the list…only 10 more tasks to go!