I know, I can’t believe it either. But yes, I did Celebrity Mastermind and it airs on BBC1 this Saturday. My specialist subject is Jackie Collins (natch) and no spoilers but remember it’s all about the taking part! And despite it being one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done it was also one …
I’m back! And I’m 50! We celebrated with a (very) long lunch in the garden just a few weeks ago and honestly, my fifties feel like I’ve arrived at a party I’ve been wanting to go to for ages. Even the dress code feels more relaxed. Anyway, I’ve got lots to tell you so I’ll …
So they’re finally back at school (pumps fist) and I’m very much back to work after a few weeks off. Well, I say work. I was lucky enough to be invited to stay at the newly opened Pig Hotel in the South Downs and to say I was excited to be out is understating it …
This might be an upside down, inside out kind of year but at least half term is providing something of a breather this week. Even the appalling weather seems to be telling us to stay home, watch films and not feel quite so guilty about screen time right now. Anyway, we might not be able …
Last week I had a proper break. Sadly it didn’t involve a tropical island for obvious reasons but we did escape to Cornwall for a few days to stay in one of my favourite pubs on the planet. Called The Gurnard’s Head, it sits above a stunning stretch of Cornish coastline, all crashing waves, jagged …
If there’s one thing that’s got me through lockdown – apart from wine, obviously – it’s the idea of being able to see people again. But now that we’re actually allowed to see them – socially distanced, of course – I’m not sure I’m ready. I mean, proper conversations with completed sentences whilst wearing something …
First things first: sending love to you and yours. Uncertain times but one thing I can do here is provide free wine advice on tap. Not as good as providing actual free wine on tap. Still, I’ve doubled up on the wine recommendations this week. All are available for home delivery and one’s from one …
Yup, still January. But there have been highlights: I got to hold a copy of my new (old) book, the updated Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide, in my hands for the first time. (There’s a cracking competition coming up to celebrate the book launching on the 6th February, more on that soon). And I did Saturday …
A few weeks ago I found myself in central London with half an hour to kill between meetings. Normally I’d grab a coffee and head to Liberty’s stationary department but on this particular occasion I decided to do something a little more adventurous. I got another ear piercing. OK, so it hardly rates as truly …
I did it! And I loved every single minute of my first Saturday Kitchen Live experience. OK so I wasn’t mad about the coral lipstick and the camera definitely adds at least 10lbs but I got to eat unbelievably good food and drink wine at 10am on a Saturday morning. With Jason Donovan! Makes a …
I do love a baby. Especially mine obviously, but they’re not babies anymore. And I’m not broody when I see one nowadays, just ridiculously tears-in-eyes happy. So much so I think I slightly freaked out the young mother in John Lewis last week, whose sleeping baby looked so beautiful tucked up in its pram I …
Ah, Christmas. So much stuff to organise – food, presents, plans – and so little time to do it. Now, I can’t help you with the last minute mince pie requests or the sudden call for a star costume (for real, made one out of a wine box earlier this week in ten minutes flat) …
I have a terrible poker face. That whole ‘can’t tell what they’re thinking’ thing? Whatever it is, it’s usually written all over mine. In marker pen. So when I was told something exciting last week, and then told to keep it quiet until next week, my heart sank. I’m literally bursting to tell you but …
I’m currently 60% rosé, 40% hot dogs and the school holidays haven’t even started yet. I blame the weather. And the football. Anyway, Eldest Boy breaks up on Friday, the other two at the end of next week. Then we’ve got six long weeks ahead and as usual I can’t wait/am dreading it in pretty …
I thought I could take it or leave it. You know, dip in and out as and when it suited me. But before I knew it I was in too deep. And now it’s a full on obsession. Yes, I know it’s ridiculous but I just can’t help myself. And now, if you don’t mind …
I love a fancy dress party. So I went all out on Saturday at an 80’s themed party (the decade, not the age). I’m talking zebra print dress, black leggings, gold boots, candy pink leg warmers, arms covered in plastic bangles, lots of pink and blue eyeshadow and half a can of backcomb spray in …
I was away working in London all last week and after two rain-sodden weeks of school holidays, it felt like something of a mini-break. Admittedly quite a weird one; I spent much of it spitting out wine. Not because they were horrible but because I was judging at a wine competition. One night I sat at …
Thank you for all my lovely birthday messages, especially the one that reminded me I’m now old enough to know what really matters. On that note, I’m off to Menorca with a couple of BFFs for a long weekend. I’ve made a lasagne and left it in the freezer at home (for some reason I …
I’ve been dying to tell you about this: I’m writing another book. And this time, we’re back on the booze. Out next year, it’s all about how to make really good cocktails at home. So if you have any favourite cocktail recipes you’d like to share, I’d love to know about them! Email, leave a comment here or on Instagram or Facebook, whatever …
My let-them-get-bored strategy has come back to bite me. “Mum, please can we do some painting?” are seven words you don’t want to hear at 6.35pm after a long day. It was enough to make me want to play Chardonnay Go. If you haven’t seen it, watch it here; forget Pokémon Go, this is way more …
First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who’s ordered a case (or more) of our first ever KMWC exclusive wine case. It’s absolutely flying! Lots of you have already tucked in (I expect nothing less) and I’m loving hearing what you think of the wines. If you can, take a picture with bottle in hand …
By George, wine duty is on the rise again. Delivering his latest Budget, the Chancellor froze duty on beer and spirits. But not wine, which will rise in line with inflation. We already pay £2.05 in tax on every bottle of wine we buy, and that’s before VAT. It’s enough to make you want to…well, you …
Last Saturday, I was front page news. Well, sort of. My face was on the front of the paper – in Spain. Here, I was slightly less in-your-face, tucked inside with a feature on, er, my face. Specifically, the effect a wine-free month had on my skin, along with some rather hideous close-ups of it pre- and post-January. …
So, I’ve had a nightmare this half term. The washing machine broke. Honestly, it was terrifying. Piles of washing everywhere. On top of that, there’s Saturday’s Trickle Treat (as Youngest Girl calls it) outing to think about. Our kids usually bring home enough sweets to open a shop, thanks to us being one of only …
Normally, I write a weekly post for this blog fairly late at night. But given that I’ve now got an extra half hour in the mornings I never knew I had, I thought I’d write this one early. Fuelled by granola, obviously. Yes, my stocks of granola are like Willy Wonka’s gobstoppers: never ending. Compared …
This is me, at the Knackered Mother’s Wine Club tasting at Camp Bestival last Saturday. We had a brilliant crowd, including a gorgeous lady who’d got married that day at Camp Bestival’s inflatable church (not making this up) and another on her hen night. There was a performance by the brilliant Scummy Mummies, Ellie & …
I went to a big blogging conference in London last Friday, BritMums Live, to speak on a panel. Along with English Mum and Honest Mum, we were asked to talk to an audience of bloggers about our stories and how we’ve gone about building our blogs. And I got to meet Ella Woodward from Deliciously …
We’ve just returned from a few days staying with old mates in Scotland and joining us on our long journey home were a couple of new additions to our household. Meet Yankee & Zulu, our eight week old cocker spaniel puppies. Half term just got a whole lot more hectic, in a good way. Like …
This week, I’ve been mostly fuelled by tea and chocolate brownies. One day I will have a tin of ready-made healthy snacks to tuck into. That, and a pre-made tiffin box of quinoa salad on hand for lunch on-the-go. Just not this week. But today, with deadlines met, I dropped in to see my mum …
You can’t buy happiness but you can buy wine and that’s kind of the same thing, or so the saying goes. But I’m not drinking wine this week: combination of a late night on Saturday (old friend’s wedding, too many cocktails) and the fact that I’ve now got a cold. Normally, I’d go with the …
I was at the Borders Book Festival this weekend. And it was brilliant fun. Here’s my selfie at the start of the session (rude not to). And not only was the crowd simply lovely, I got to meet up with my blogging mate Harriet and drink wine in the Green Room with her whilst Emma Thompson’s mother discussed …
Last year’s hair. Next Tuesday I’m going to the Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards, where the Knackered Mother’s Wine Club book is shortlisted in the Drinks Book category. Last year, this blog won the Online Drinks Writer award; I’m still getting over that one. I daren’t believe the book will do the double. …
Bought from a junk shop in Cornwall years ago, this old dairy farm table has stayed with us through five house moves (I’m. Never. Moving. Again). And has seen countless children’s teas, dinners and Sunday lunches, not to mention the hours clocked up when covered with Airfix models on rainy Saturday afternoons. Then there’s the …
The following exhaustive (and exhausting) list of wines appeared in Saturday’s Daily Mail, here’s a link if you want pictures of the bottles too. There’s 10 whites, 10 reds, 10 sparkling and 10 pudding/after dinner drinks. And this gorgeous picture was taken by the very lovely Juliette Neel. Sadly, it wasn’t used in the piece but …
Hot weather = less clothes. I’m not great at less clothes, unless you count wearing my dressing gown, which I can do for hours, with ease, every Sunday morning. No, I’m happier when jean-clad and wrapped in jumpers. But this heatwave has seen me, for the first time in years, wearing shorts and genuinely not …
vb. pootle to move leisurely, with or without purpose Now, no great shakes but I’m usually in a hurry. Whether it is shouting getting the children into the car for the school run, racing to get a train on my work days or tearing round the supermarket at break-neck speed, the big Countdown clock looms. …
OK, it mostly is but bear with until the end of the post and if you’re in London over the bank holiday weekend, there’s a chance to grab some tickets for a big wine thing. So, me first. I has news. Firstly, hampers-and-loose-leaf-tea emporium Fortnum & Mason, on London’s Piccadilly, has announced the shortlist for …
So, we had a little party last night for friends who couldn’t make it to London for the official KMWC book launch a few weeks ago. And as you can see, my mum made herself useful. Yes, she is actually signing my book. And what’s more, no-one seemed to mind. In other news (back to …
It was Middle Boy’s first ever nativity play today. As always, we were asked to bring mince pies to be handed out to parents & grandparents afterwards. And for once, instead of resorting to my usual bribery accepting of donations from my mother/mother-in-law I thought I’d make my own. Bad decision: pastry went wrong, pastry cutters …
Last week, at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) annual banquet at the Guildhall, I was named Blogger of the Year* along with the properly brilliant Jamie Goode from wineanorak.com. It was quite the do, and I would share the official photo with you but my lipstick was a horrible colour and my arm …
I made jam last night for Youngest Girl’s nursery cake & chutney sale on Saturday. Actually, I didn’t make jam. A group of us got together and I chopped a few peppers and chillies, whilst mostly chatting over a glass of wine and a bowl of crisps. Here’s what Jules did with the results: Wine-free …
A while ago, I made this little vlog about tasting wine. It explains the basics behind that rather ridiculous sniff/swirl/spit action, essential if you want to discover what’s really in your glass. But in fact, the best way to taste wine is to compare and contrast, with a number of different wines lined up in …
I’m not going to complain about it being too hot. Really, I’m not. It’s glorious. This week Eldest Boy is learning to sail on our local river. Middle Boy has spent much of his time jumping, repeatedly, over a sprinkler in the garden. Even when it isn’t on. And Youngest Girl has mostly been saying: …
Last Monday, I hit send. I pressed the button and off went my book (or manuscript, apparently) to my editor. Thing is, I still can’t say manuscript without feeling like this shouldn’t happening to me, or for that matter say editor without wanting to actually hug her. But then Eldest Boy said to me “so, does …
So I didn’t win the blogging award as mentioned last week but I did win a Wii at the same event, thereby making me the most popular parent in our house by quite some margin. The week’s other cheering news is that according to a new report, drinking wine (in moderation, of course) improves your …
24 years ago today, at 6.05pm, I met a boy in the fields behind our respective houses. We walked to a nearby lake, where he smoked a Turkish cigarette and I tried not to appear too keen. As we climbed the gate that led back home, I could bear it no longer. Me: “So, are …
Glorious, under-rated and often misunderstood: that’s Sherry. Well, not all of it – there’s lots of sweetened stuff that tends to cast an unfashionable shadow over the rest – but the good stuff is really, really good. So when my friend Hannah asked for some Sherry recommendations I vowed to do a post on them. …
Heroines, I’ve had a few: Nightingale (Florence & Annie), Nigella and any number of Jilly Cooper characters included (the ones who weren’t obviously pretty but then became ravishing once drenched in Diorissimo and tight on thunderous G&Ts). Another heroine is Jancis Robinson MW (Master of Wine), a walking wine authority. Jancis started Wine Relief in 1999 and has helped raise nearly …
I’m friends with VB. Not that VB (seriously though, have you read Mrs Beckham’s interview in this month’s Vogue? She’s fab). This is Very Bored, or Very Bored in Catalunya to give her blog its full title. Luckily, boredom drives her to write very funny stuff. It also drives her to drink (in moderation, obviously) and she knows lots about good Spanish …
“Ohmigod, that’s a headache wine” said a friend the other day after sipping a Spanish white wine. Then Ladybird World Mother said that she too got wretched headaches when drinking wine and doesn’t even throw it back like the old days (her words, not mine). What might cause these headaches, other than having three too many? The usual suspect is sulphur, which …
I. Am. Knackered. And I definitely can’t top my John Torode story from last week. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll go straight to the wines. Current rose in the fridge: Clos Clementine 2008, £10 Hot weather demands pale rose, preferably a really good one from the Cotes de Provence region. Rose wine is made from red grapes …
Following two weeks of tasting hundreds of wines all day, every day here, my take on the current wine-scape is this: 1. New Zealand Pinot Noir is usually divine. 2. Cheap South African red usually isn’t. 3. Champagne with a bit of age is much more interesting than young stuff. 4. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the Colchagua region tastes a bit like chocolate. 5. The Nebbiolo grape (of …
Much excitement all round: we’re off to Venice for a few days to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. The children seem to sense the highly indulgent grand-parenting that lies ahead. I thought I’d buy something new for the occasion and today I did just that. Underwear that actually matches? A Spring-tastic print scarf? Clogs to make it clear I still read Vogue and …
There was a time when the Sunday Papers were read cover to cover all before our first glass of wine at lunchtime on a Sunday. No longer. Now, I might manage one article in short bursts over the course of the morning in between feeding/dressing/conversing with various small people in the house. By the time lunch has been …
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