Knowing the location of my first ever open water swim was going to be the highest beach in England and in late April, I had a bit of an inkling it wasn’t going to be warm. This been said, I was still excited when we trekked from the car park to Gaddings Dam in Lancashire… Read More Open water swimming – what it’s really like
Two years ago I bribed my son into going to Scouts – yes that’s right I paid him £2. I’d spent months badgering him to go and he flatly refused so my only option was cold hard cash. Predictably after just one session he loved it and within two weeks he was setting off on… Read More Why we need the Scouting movement now more than ever
It is a momentous weekend for us as we become the proud owner of a brand new teenager. Eye rolling and attitude aside, it is actually quite nice having a 13 year old around and, although I miss the years when he was a little boy, there’s much to celebrate in his coming of age.… Read More Six great things about your children turning into teens
In the dark depths of the Yorkshire winter while planning holidays I thought Loch Lomond would be a great place for a short summer break at the end of the school year. What I didn’t account for was that I’d chosen the only rainy weekend in a summer of seemingly endless scorching sunshine. But being… Read More Short break review – Loch Lomond our Scottish adventure
Last week I took part in Skipton Go-Tri. A 200 metre swim, a 9.5k bike and a 2.5k run. It allows those interested in triathlon to get an idea of what it’s all about and for the more experienced it’s a great way to practise transitions or do some training. So here’s what I learnt.… Read More Some obvious and not so obvious lessons I learnt after taking part in a Go-Tri
Looking at Louise Minchin on BBC Breakfast with her pristine blonde bob, professionally delivering the day’s news you would never imagine she spends her weekends flinging herself into lakes, hurtling down hills on a bike or running across the North West’s landscape. But just check her Twitter feed and she really is the action woman… Read More Book review: Dare to Tri by Louise Minchin
There is no doubt since the arrival of the Brownlee brothers the popularity of triathlon has exploded. The number of people now taking part in the sport has grown by almost 40 percent since 2014 and almost half of these are women. Despite having a reputation for being only for the toughest of athletes, triathlon… Read More Think triathlon is for the toughest of the tough – you’re wrong.
My husband has always been a huge fan of Kefalonia – a small island just off Greece – but having an only child we’ve always opted for places with stacks of entertainment, discos and kids clubs. However last year we booked two weeks in Lourdas a tiny resort with just a handful of shops and… Read More Thinking of booking a holiday? Here’s my review Kefalonia
If you have ever been to Thornton in Bradford, or like me grew up there, it is just not the sort of place you associate with trendy-hipster cafes. A large village on the outskirts of Bradford, Thornton is the birthplace of the Bronte sisters but often sits as the poor relation to Haworth – where they… Read More Must-visit trendy café review
Phone anywhere when planning your nuptials and just by dropping the word wedding into the conversation the price of food, flowers and clothing miraculously doubles. Look at any wedding literature and it is likely to use the words ‘best day of your life’ pushing you into buying those £200 shoes and that £1,000 cake you probably… Read More No thanks to ice sculptures, £1,000 cakes and gold embossed invites for our wedding