Formula 1 – A Beginner’s Guide
Top 5 things you should know about F1 With Lewis Hamilton defending his third drivers’ championship win from 2015 and a few new rule changes, there’s a lot of interest in Formula One in 2016 and I thought perhaps for those of you who don’t know the sport, a bit of background might be useful. I’ve been watching Formula One for as long as I can remember, certainly from an early age, as I recall who won the 1976 drivers’ championship...
My Mum’s Christmas Pudding Recipe
My Mum’s Christmas Pudding Recipe. We’re quite traditional with our Christmas meal but, our Christmas pudding is a little different. A lot of people don’t like it; it can be dense, have lots of crunchy currants, taste burnt or overdone and perhaps seem steeped in too much alcohol. That’s the difference, though similar in some ways, my mum’s Christmas pudding recipe is light, full of juicy, tasty fruit and...
Formula One Books You May Not Have Read
Now you may be an F1 fan yourself or perhaps you’re looking for a gift for someone you know who regularly talks about the ‘F1 season’, ‘winter testing’ or ‘this year’s championship’ and I bet it’s getting harder and harder to find something different. Well maybe I can help you out. I’ve been following formula one since I was little – and I mean little. At the age Lewis Hamilton started karting I’d been following the sport for at least...
I’m a Stranger Here Myself….
I’m a Stranger Here Myself… You’ve got to love Bill Bryson. Well I do anyway. I can almost guarantee a laugh when I read one of his books. And it’s not just any old laugh; it can range from an audible giggle to a roll on the floor until your belly hurts and you can’t see for the tears, kind of laugh; which is great if you want to improve your mood, but it can get kind of embarrassing if you happen to be reading one of his books in an...
The Advent of Autumn: Pic of the Week
The Advent of Autumn. What does autumn mean to you? With the autumn equinox occurring during late September, for some it means the end of summer and the gradual decline into the cold winter months, for others it means beautiful fall colours and temperatures dropping to acceptable levels. For the communities around me here in France, late summer and early autumn is the season of harvest. From cutting and bringing in the wheat,...
Pic of the Week: Jabba the Toad
Jabba the Toad. Meet Jabba, our friendly neighbourhood toad, which turned up in our yard one day. Living in rural France you come across quite a few creatures and wildlife that aren’t so common in the UK. Yes, I agree you do get toads roaming around the gardens and ponds of the British countryside, but to be honest we’d never come across a toad quite this big before. We’re incredibly lucky to be living in the French...
How to find a job – four key methods
It’s a full-time job finding a full-time job. You may not realise this but until a few years ago I worked for a careers advice company. There I helped people find jobs, helped people change career and look at training and courses. In my most recent years the focus was on providing advice on CVs and resumes and finding ways into work. As an ex-careers advisor I’ve had many, many conversations about ways in which to find...
Can you be too organised?
Can you be too organised? Well, actually I think so. In fact I’m pretty sure I’m too organised. You see I’m the kind of annoying person who has stupidly high standards for themselves and included in that is being organised, planned and prepared. It doesn’t sound like too bad a thing, but it can take over… Let me explain. I use a paper diary system – a lot of people do; nothing too unusual there. I use one that shows a week over two...