I've never been a steadfast proponent of making definitive plans, and indeed when a promised, long-awaited and very much deserved promotion fell through, I greeted the news with a mixture of shock and relief. Alas, what is one to do in such a situation, when they have reached the point of no return and are well and truly in a state of limbo? Why, escape into a very large glass of the finest claret and avoid any and all decision-making for as long as possible. Although, in my

Tourists beware, the greatest challenge to those alighting upon the Emerald Isle to discover Ireland is not the challenge of driving around hairpin bends on the wrong side of the road, or ordering bacon for breakfast instead of ‘rashers’ and finding oneself being served with an entire gastronome of swine with galleons of very very strong tea to aid the mastication process. No, the greatest challenge is that of the spoken language. “English“ you say, “accompanied by a most del

In his book Till the Cows Come Home Phillip Walling tells the story of the relationship between humankind and cattle and is a must read for anyone wanting to know anything more detailed than my own general observations acquired in my role as guardian of the blissful rural retreat, Newbrook House. I am fascinated by the simplicity of the cycle in which cows eat food that has been grown using their own excrement. I am not an expert and honestly don't know the difference betwee