What could be better than finding yourself on a sunny Sunday in the supposed UK summertime, invited into the back gardens of some proper posh countryside houses in the heart of the Cotswolds? That’s what Bibury Open Gardens Festival promised and whilst the title is a bit grandiose and misleading, it was surprisingly fun. The event was your traditional rural country fete kind of deal, although this in the picturesque …

There’s always an odd feeling as you head towards the end of a Welcome to Wrexham series. You know what the result is going to be, and yet somehow, are still drawn along for the ride. The editing is extremely good to ratchet up the tension even when the events have long since taken place and everyone’s moving on to the next objective. But I have to say, this third …

I’ve not been to the Watermill Theatre at Newbury before, tucked away as it is in the depths of the countryside. It’s an incongruous setting for a theatre - beautiful flowing river, overhanging greenery, a sense of countryside history, and then, oh yes, a regional theatre of some renown! My reason for going this time was to see Fanny, the show about the sister of Felix Mendelssohn who, of course, …

I was lucky enough to see Tim Rice on stage recently, as the musical legend toured the country to talk about his life, career and achievements. It was worth every penny of the entry price, with the famous lyricist sharing great stories and surprising facts, and a quartet of singers showcasing some of the songs that have littered his illustrious career so far. I don’t usually attend events like this, …

I’ve scaled back my Zero Waste efforts recently because real life has gotten in the way, as it always tends to do. But I’m still always interested in people and companies that are thinking outside the box and being innovative in the way they design products. I stumbled on One Good Thing, OGT, who make a variety of protein bars that don’t have a wrapper - or they do but …

I finished watching the Apple TV show Sugar this week and had intended to tag it on the end of my television roundup post, but the last few episodes made it deserving of a longer review. Firstly, it’s important to say it was a good show and I enjoyed watching it. The first couple of episodes were interesting but potentially not mind-blowing, but some good online reviews convinced me to …

I've watched quite a few TV shows recently that I wanted to give a mention of but couldn't summon up the thoughts for a full blog post - so it seemed sensible to do a roundup of them all in one go. A Gentleman in Moscow Ewan McGregor is legendary in this, fun and serious at just the right moments. The way time goes by, the way the story unfolds, …

Just in the nick of time, I have finished rewatching the third series of Apple TV+ comedy Trying, as the new series starts this week. I do think as the seasons have worn on, the drama and loveliness has increased while the quotability levels have dropped. But I couldn't love it any more, so here's the best of the next eight episodes. Episode 1 Jason's dad, Vic, absolutely owns this …

Time is running short before the fourth series of Trying begins, but I have finally completed my rewatch of the existing episodes and gathering the wonderful quotes from each episode. I love this show so much, I have to share! This time I'm keeping a full season in one post rather than splitting between episodes, because who doesn't want a bumper crop of quotes to persue? Episode 1 Picking your …

I was so excited when I saw that Audible had commissioned and released an audio series of Green Wing, bringing back the original cast in all their glory for more barely medically-related shenanigans at East Hampton hospital. And now, having listened to the six part series many, many times through, I can only say it lived up to all my expectations and I love it! Hands up, though, I wasn't …

Today it was announced that women's tennis is returning to Queen's club for the first time in more than 50 years, and whilst I can understand that this is an exciting announcement that brings together the two tennis tours at a high profile location, it feels disappointing to me. I've previously loved going to Edgbaston Priory Club to watch some tennis and now what was previously a 500 event (middle …

If you had asked anyone a few years ago who would be shining the best light on what a brutal and thankless job farming is, who would have put their hands up and said Jeremy Clarkson? The guy continues to cause controversy but when it comes to this programme, he's got it right. Showing the heart and soul of the farming world, the community, the animals, the care and the …