George heard there was a dragon living in a faraway land. “I will ride out on my trusty steed and save the people being terrorised” he declared to any who would listen. “When the beautiful princess under threat hears of my brave deeds”, he thought, “perhaps she will marry me.” George was in want of a wife, for all the usual reasons. Taking up his sword and his shield, George bid a hearty farewell to friends and family. They waved him off enthusiastically, somewhat relieved at the peace they could enjoy in his absence. It took some time for the young knight to traverse the lands, being unsure ..read more

“I gazed at the line of skyscrapers and tried to form original impressions of the famous shapes. I did wonder what’s so special about going anywhere, when everything looks so much better in pictures anyway.” Old Romantics, by Maggie Armstrong, is described as a collection of linked short stories. Each entry could certainly be read and enjoyed separately, but as a whole they tell the tale of a woman – from early adulthood through to motherhood – who shares the author’s name in various forms. These are love stories but told through the interior and often destructive desires and reactions of t ..read more

“You can be fit, conventionally good-looking, have lustrous hair and fine, firm limbs, but if you flash a snaggle-toothed smile – it’s game over, man. You’re a wrong ‘un.” John Patrick Higgins has always taken good care of his teeth. However, between violent events and genetic inheritance he has lived his life thus far with particularly bad denticles. By bad he means teeth that fail. Shards fall from them randomly when he eats even innocuous foodstuffs. Some have hollowed out despite there being no signs of decay. He grinds his teeth while he sleeps, something the usual treatments for such ..read more

A slightly different run report today, looking back on the first race I ever entered, this time last year. The annual 10k run, inaugurated in 1983, starts in the pretty little market town of Corsham in Wiltshire. A popular event, it is held in April and will be happening again next weekend. Having decided to enter a race, something that took quite some personal courage, I looked around for a local event I felt confident I could complete. Husband was still recovering from his heart issues but daughter agreed to join me – for which I was grateful. We did a few runs together in preparation but I ..read more

‘Bride’ is Ali Hazelwood’s first entry into paranormal romance, after finding huge success with her ‘STEMinist’ series of contemporary romances. It feels very much like a Hazelwood book: entertaining, with fantastic slow-burn chemistry and a fun and engaging subplot. There is, of course, the irritating and unnecessary third act breakup – but aside from this, ‘Bride’ is an excellent entry into the genre, and showcases Hazelwood’s ability to (slightly) branch out from her roots. Misery Lark is the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre in the Southwest – and, as such, has spent her entire l ..read more

At the end of last month Edward travelled with his bearers to the small hamlet of Eype on the South West Coast. Despite his dislike of water – it playing havoc with a traditionally made bear’s joints – Edward does like to be beside the seaside. The beaches in this part of Dorset are more shingle than sand. While this does make building castles a tad tricky, it is kinder to soft fur. Edward also kept his eye out for dinosaurs as he is aware they used to roam around this part of the world, giving it the name Jurassic Coast. Base for the weekend away was the Eype’s Mouth Country Hotel overlookin ..read more

Last Sunday husband and I took part in a local biannual road race that marks the changing of the clocks in the UK. Organised by Wiltshire Council, three options were available: 1.5km fun run for children around a playing field, 5km timed road race, 10km timed road race. We had opted to enter the longer event, which started at 11am. All the runs were sold out before the day. Race HQ was located at Calne Community Campus. Ample free parking had been promised but we turned up early to ensure we got a space. By the time the race started, traffic was parking up along the length of the feeder road ..read more

This review was written for and first published by Bookmunch “Our sense of enchantment is not triggered only by grand things; the sublime is not hiding in distant landscapes. The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. It becomes valuable when we value it.” Katherine May is seeking something grounded and meaningful in her life post lockdown. Like many, the lifestyle changes enforced by the global pandemic shifted something in her psyche. This book documents the journey she took, her attempts to make sense of her increased d ..read more

Our second weekend away last month was spent on the Dorset coast, basing ourselves at Eype’s Mouth Country Hotel. This was our third time staying at the seventeen bedroom establishment, although unbeknown to us it had changed hands since we were last there. The previous owners, Kevin and Glenis French, retired in 2022 after eighteen years at the helm. The new owners, Syed Hossain and Arifa Kalam, have worked in the hotel industry for many years but were clearly still sorting out the logistics of running this particular business. Staff were being trained and, on each evening at dinner, guests ..read more

We last ran at St Mary’s in Bridport back in late 2021. Then, as this week, we had booked a short break by the stunning coast nearby and were eager to include a Parkrun in our itinerary. Memories of the course proved somewhat hazy as we both believed it was mostly flat with just a few short uppy bits – more on that later. What we remembered accurately was the friendly welcome along with fine support and organisation. There is plenty of parking available by Bridport Football Club (£1.50 for 2 hours, pay by credit card or phone app). If toilets are needed these may be found in a leisure centre ..read more