Two weeks ago, my two mates and I did something we’d never tried before. No, not ratatouille or Trance, but a Spa Break. What’s more, we did it at a place called The Hampshire Four Seasons, which sounds like a pizza but is actually a posh hotel (the kind that doesn’t sell Tampax from a vending machine out. Or toothpaste by the squirt). Scary stuff. … Continue reading A trip to the Hampshire Four Seasons Spa
Despite having read the book twice (I’m 43, there’s been time for reading) all I can remember is page after page of Pierre rattling round his vast estates and sweating the small stuff (namely, what to do about the serfs? And Crops: Where To Put Them?) With all the sex, war and dancing gone down my cerebral-swanny, I was ready for a BBC re-boot. Though … Continue reading War and Peace…and a Hot Potato
Autumn means Fashion Week. You know the roll call – Paris, London…Salisbury. Wiltshire’s annual celebration of style kicked off on Sept 25th, but where were the style bloggers, vloggers and Vogue? Who the hell was covering it? Moi, that’s who. Sadly, I missed the Launch Night ‘Musical Extravaganza’, because it didn’t kick off until 7.30pm, and I was in bed with Lucky Santangelo. (Like all … Continue reading Salisbury Fashion Week
You know how Nature has a way of making a woman forget the pain of childbirth – until her next labour starts. (“Silly me, how could I forget? THIS IS HELL”) Well, it’s the same with family festivals. Every year, you stagger home – eardrums ringing, spouse catatonic and kids bleeding face-paint – and swear NEVER to do it again. Yet a year later, there you are … Continue reading How to survive a family festival
I had a high old time watching ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, partly because I did it on a train – via laptop – and every time my ticket inspector got a glimpse of downloaded bottom, he put his hands over his eyes, and did a comedy side-stagger. (South West Trains have very cheerful staff, because they’re invariably on their way on to Devon). That said, the … Continue reading Did you catch ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’?
I recently reviewed MC Beaton’s latest Agatha Raisin mystery for Harrogate International Festivals… THE BLOOD OF AN ENGLISHMAN sees heroine Agatha grappling with an ungenial giant, a violent blacksmith and some highly amorous amateur dramatics. The scene opens on the Winter Parva pantomime. Forced to sit through an am-dram mash-up of every fairy tale ever told, Agatha only rallies when the unfriendly giant gets himself killed … Continue reading MC Beaton’s The Blood of an Englishman
Tash Bell 