Up the Downs
My base camp at the foot of the Lambourn Downs (north side) is well placed for bike rides up to the Ridgeway – short bursts of exertion that raise the pulse rate in beautiful surroundings. There are more than a … Continue reading
Category Archives: Oxfordshire
Practice makes Percy
Here beginneth the second lesson. The pod drapes have been pulled back a little, allowing our puppies to rub noses through the bars of the cage. Or bark like hell, in Percy’s case. ‘Close Percy’s curtain please,’ says our trainer … Continue reading
Percy goes to school
At 6.45 on a damp autumn evening, 15 minutes early (as instructed), six young dogs and their human appendages have assembled outside a village hall in West Oxfordshire. For our rescue puppy Percy, not quite 3 months and not … Continue reading
Red kites. Why did we bother?
I have read that the reason red kites needed our help to survive is that they are rather stupid birds, as well as being too slow to catch wild animals unless dead, and easy to pick off. Their lazy style … Continue reading
A new Tesco
I had only just got over missing my chance to make a day trip to the M25 for the vernissage of the new service station between junctions 9 and 10 – one of the nation’s top visitor attractions after Westfield … Continue reading
Scouring the White Horse
Brilliant Bank Holiday weather brought the crowds out in force, queuing up with their buckets and spades to scratch the surface of our old white horse in the traditional ‘Scouring’ ritual. It is often said that the people of Uffington … Continue reading
Attention: chien méchant
Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better, the country roads around us are full of people on horses, bicycles and their feet, with and without dogs. I am out there too, puffing up the hill with … Continue reading
White Horse Hill
I live beneath White Horse Hill, one of many in the middle of southern England. Most mornings I look out of the window and think how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place, and most days … Continue reading