Postcards From My Kitchen Table

I have four babies. My eldest is going to be seven in April. She loves running in the fresh air and can quite easily eat a whole packet of biscuits in one go. She’s got huge dark trusting eyes set in the most beautiful face. I don’t give her as much attention as I should.…… Continue reading For the love of Scout

At the end of 2016, I was privileged to be asked to speak at the MBRRACE-UK National Report Launch of the Confidential Enquiry in Maternal Deaths 2009-2013. I invited by Action on Pre-Eclampsia, an organisation who have been hugely supportive of me, to talk about my experience of HELLP Syndrome – a rare complication of pregnancy.…… Continue reading How to Save a Life – Why Maternal Mental Health Matters

I’d always wanted to go to Cornwall – the beaches, the art, the waves, the surfers.. (!) and for our first family holiday with baby number one it seemed like the time was right. It was far enough away from home to feel like a proper holiday but not too far to overwhelm.  I put…… Continue reading A Love Letter to The Bay

‘It’s all about the journey’ someone once said – they clearly hadn’t travelled with children. Yesterday we flew from Edinburgh to Exeter with our three under five. It wasn’t exactly long haul (why on earth would you ever put yourself through that??) but travelling with children is not for the faint hearted. Here follows a run down of our highs and lows:…… Continue reading Are we nearly there yet?

I don’t have a bucket list but if I did, right up at the top would have to be being a guest on BBC Radio Four stalwart, Desert Island Discs. How I would love to settle down in the studio with Kirsty Young to be ‘castaway’ with the music that defines my life. It’s been 75 years since Roy…… Continue reading What would you save from the waves?

Last night my four year old dropped the F-bomb. I had to ask him to repeat himself as I couldn’t quite believe what had just come out of his, until then, innocent mouth. I was complaining about the noise from a bicycle horn he had been given for Christmas – one of those old school Chitty…… Continue reading Out of the mouths of babes

In my last post I wrote about 2016 and how it had been quite a shitty year for me. I also wrote about how it had ended on a high with me feeling energised and positive about the future. There were lots of things that contributed towards this and as the year came to a close I…… Continue reading Get yourself some MamaSpace

Like me, you’re probably sick of hearing how dreadful 2016 was. An annus horribilis on a monumental scale. A gargantuan grim reaper who snatched from us our childhood heroes, our European Union and our BBC Bake Off and left us with a giant orange oompa loompa with an ego you can see from space. I too…… Continue reading Lessons for Life

What is it about snow that brings out the child in us? I went to bed last Wednesday night full of excitement, keeping fingers and toes tightly crossed that the few flakes of snow that had begun to fall would carry on in earnest through the night. I knew my prayers had been answered, when I…… Continue reading The Magic of Snow

  ‘Friends for a Season, Friends for a Reason, Friends for Life’ I was reminded of this phrase following a wonderfully unexpected visit a few weeks ago from my oldest friend. Our friendship was forged over pink wafers and hot Ribena back in 1980 at aged just three when we both started at ‘Mrs Duff’s,…… Continue reading Friends for Life