Words from a Bird

We overslept this morning.  I'm not entirely surprised having walked the equivalent of a half marathon over the past two days, and we just about made breakfast.   We did all the usual Christmas stuff today.  Carnaby Street, Regent Street, Borough Market, mulled wine (again), chocolate covered bananas and caramelised nuts.  There was also the issue of the very inclement weather.  Wandering around the whole A to Z of London, the husband decided that a purchase of a hat and scarf was necessary.  Being a fairly sensible woman, I had brought a hat, scarf and gloves with me, but the husband, being of tougher stuff (he hails from the north) had proclaimed that he was no southern softy and would deal with whatever the weather had to throw at him in a manly fashion. Fast forward to late morning, the rain was chucking it down, and the manly fashion had morphed into wimpy whinging about a chaffed chin due to an evil coat zip and a wet head.  And so began the hut hunt. We tried sports shops (t

Last night ended with the husband spreading Christmas joy up and down Oxford Street in one of those rickshaws, waving and shouting Merry Christmas to all and sundry while Shakin' Stevens belted out his festive musical offering.  It was a lovely way to finish our Sunday as it had started in a very different manner. For my birthday, I received loads of brilliant gifts, one of which was from my Binland friends (if you're new to me, this is a waste company I worked for happily for many years).  This was a two part gift consisting of a jet boat ride up the Thames and a lovely meal at Marco Pierre White's restaurant in Shoreditch.  As there was a two hour break in what is lovingly known as the British weather, we did the boat trip yesterday.  Now I hate boats.  This has stemmed from being a terrified fourteen year old watching Jaws at the cinema, and every time anyone mentions the word 'boat', I am reminded of one of my dad's favourite sayings.  'There's thing

So here we are in the North Pole.   Well, not quite the North Pole, more Kings Cross, but it's blooming freezing up here.  This afternoon, the husband and I have trolleyed between various hostelries looking for an open fire, a mulled wine and a knee blanket with little if any success.  Instead, there was kiosk after kiosk selling street food and let's be fair, who wants to be nibbling on a bratwurst when it's -3 and it means taking your gloves off.    We eventually managed to squeeze into a lovely restaurant; this was actually the first one I picked out, but the husband (AKA Team Leader) always likes to do a circuit of wherever we are 'just in case we find something better'.  Well we didn't, so it was into the Granary Wharf Brasserie where we sat perched at the bar like a couple of shivering cockatoos.  Two glasses of wine, four gin and tonics, some prawns and a delicious goose and turkey shepherds pie later we had warmed up substantially, and I was actually reg

After a completely Tasmanian Devil whirlwind of a week consisting of another sad funeral (my 'best' coat has been out more times in the last ten days than it has all year), dried fruit, present wrapping, two chats with California Kate, probable hypothermia after today's market trip with Mrs H and designing a new webpage for the Bird, I have finally sat down this evening and breathed a deep sigh of relief.  I have just enough time to write to you lovely lot, and then I have to go and find my suitcase. Where are we off to now do I hear you ask?  Well ladies (and the occasional gentleman), the husband is whisking me off for a few days in London (one more than we anticipated) and then a few days in Bruges (one less than we anticipated).  Last Christmas, the kids bought us tickets to go and see Pete Tong doing something with Ibiza Classics at the O2.  Now, this will probably be music of some sort, but it did cross my mind as to whether Pete Tong was some old Ibiza bartender, and

Eight years ago, I came up with the idea of writing a diary for my children which I would put into the public domain.  And so Words from a Bird began.  Two thousand posts and almost a million words later, I am still going.  But like all of us, lives change.  Eight years ago, my life was all about the four children, schools, universities, boyfriends, girlfriends, work, my husband, family and the dogs. Much of that is still relevant today, thank goodness, but we now add in two weddings (one more pending), grandchildren (one, and again, one pending), retirement and looking after parents. So to all my completely gorgeous readers, to the ones who have been with me right from the start and to the new ones who have discovered me just this week, thank you for coming along for the ride with me.  I hope I carry on making you giggle for many years to come!   If you don't want to miss anything, just follow the Words from a Bird page. And when I am a very old lady, I hope that my children will