Author Archives: Karen Woods

Huxbear. It’s a special kind of winery

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Perhaps you have to be rich to own a vineyard? Visions of châteaux in the best areas of Bordeaux, old family estates in Italy and steep hillsides next to castles along the Rhine come to mind. It doesn’t have to be that way. True, many English vineyards belong to successful traders who made their fortunes   …Continue Reading


Ten reasons to be cheerful

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I’m back in lockdown after a short break to France resulted in two weeks of quarantine. Never mind, I’m working from home and the weather has turned rubbish again. Now, I’m not making light of the situation, tens of thousands of families are mourning loved ones and doubtless Covid-19 has more in store for us.   …Continue Reading


What would Shackleton do?

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Lockdown restrictions may be easing but there’s still a long way to go before we get back to normal. Irish polar explorer Ernest Shackleton knew a thing or two about waiting for things to improve. His Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 ended abruptly when his ship Endurance got stuck in pack ice before they even   …Continue Reading


My love affair with The Sunday Times

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Newspapers are in the news. Now that hardly anyone commutes, very few people are buying them, advertising revenue is dwindling and some may be forced to close. Although I’ve worked on weekly papers, I hardly ever part with my money for an actual copy nowadays. Most of the stories are on line, ‘celebrities’ seem to   …Continue Reading


We are all artisans. Five ways to impress your customers

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Over the last few months, I’ve been engaging a few tradespeople to carry out tasks about the house and garden. Some were excellent, others not so good. Most did a reasonable job but I’ll most remember the individuals I’ve employed for the quality of their customer-facing skills – or lack of them. It’s set me   …Continue Reading


Sometimes local is best

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It takes just 30 minutes for me to drive into West Sussex. But, oddly, I don’t think I’ve crossed the border for the last couple of years (apart from getting the train to Gatwick Airport which really doesn’t count!). An out-of-the-blue invitation to a wildlife photography workshop took me to RSPB Pulborough yesterday and was   …Continue Reading


Through Savage Europe

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As part of my ambition to visit all the countries of Europe, I’ve lately been travelling through the former Yugoslavia. With hindsight, it seems impossible to believe these seven republics ever existed as part of one state as they have evolved in such different ways in the near-40 years since the death of Tito. The   …Continue Reading


One man can make a difference

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The port of Granville in Normandy, at the foot of the Cherbourg peninsula has been welcoming tourists for a very long time. Its famed carnival, now in its 145th year, brings tens of thousands of people from far and wide in early spring. Even more turn up in summer to sunbathe, swim or sail. There   …Continue Reading


Learning is addictive

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Here in the northern hemisphere, spring is well on the way. At the other end of our planet, autumn is looming. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to exchange winter for summer on board the Hurtigruten expedition ship Fram, sailing south to Antarctica. It was utterly amazing, even more than I’d expected. See my   …Continue Reading


Birdbrain

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  Squawking seagulls are an inevitable part of seaside life. In my part of Normandy they gather at 06:30 to discuss the coming day before taking to the air to menace holidaymakers, steal abandoned fries and poo on Parisians. I admit a secret admiration for these feisty birds; they always keep a beady eye on   …Continue Reading