A little over two years after my daughter Tilly was born prematurely and didn’t survive, I am about to start paternity leave. When Tilly was born, it was hard to imagine I’d ever reach this point. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to, and I wasn’t sure we’d even want to. But as time hasContinue reading “Paternity leave – a brother for Tilly”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Information overload
For the most part I have enjoyed working from home. It’s great to be able to get up a little later each day, and to have the full kitchen’s worth of food to consider whenever you fancy a snack. I can have the radio on to give me some background noise and can immediately diveContinue reading “Information overload”
Mental health matters
There are lots of awareness days, weeks and campaigns. In fact, there are even quite a few for mental health. So, you’d be forgiven for thinking they might be unnecessary. Maybe you think they’re overkill? After all, everywhere you look, you see people talking about their mental health. Sadly, this isn’t the case. Poor mentalContinue reading “Mental health matters”
Find your escapism
Social distancing, self-isolation and working from home all mean huge changes to our daily lives.These can all have a negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing. With this in mind, I asked some colleagues and my Twitter contacts to share their top tips for protecting their mental health. I was overwhelmed with the volumeContinue reading “Find your escapism”
Coronavirus: this is different
I think it’s clear that the coronavirus pandemic is what most people would consider a crisis – for the country, for families and for our employers. When we’re talking about the latter, we implement a series of formal measures to help us to manage the situation. There are lots of different elements to this includingContinue reading “Coronavirus: this is different”
Review: Kysty, Ambleside
I suspect the best compliment you can give a restaurant on opening night is to say that you couldn’t tell it was opening night. If you wanted a one-sentence summary of Kysty, which opened on Valentine’s Day in Ambleside, that would be it. Although strictly speaking, it reopened. As a bistro, following an eighteen monthContinue reading “Review: Kysty, Ambleside”
In praise of comfort food: soup
Earlier today I shared a picture of part of my lunch – a cup-a-soup (leek and potato, for the record). A friend challenged me to write a blog about it. I’m rarely one to turn down a challenge, so here we are. But of course, this blog isn’t really about powdered soups in a mug,Continue reading “In praise of comfort food: soup”
Review: Rudy’s, Bennetts Hill, Birmingham
I once described slices of pizza as crispy shards of joy. Or similar. Regardless of my choice of words on that day, my love for pizza has been long established. Which is probably why, a month or two after my first visit, I returned to Rudy’s in Birmingham rather than searching out another venue inContinue reading “Review: Rudy’s, Bennetts Hill, Birmingham”
Christmas: a time for cheese
Earlier this week, I received an email from Dukeshill. Amongst the delights on offer was their Christmas cheese platter (a mere £81, if you’re that way inclined). The email got me thinking I love Christmas, and I love cheese. The two really should go hand-in-hand. After all, a well rounded platter of delicious, rich cheeses;Continue reading “Christmas: a time for cheese”
Review: The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston
Nestled, almost hidden, half-way between Blackpool and Garstang is the Cartford Inn in the village of Little Eccleston. The pub is built next to a private toll bridge, and whilst this might give the appearance of being a barrier to entry, the food should be considered anything but. The inn has been a presence inContinue reading “Review: The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston”
The only man in the room 