The cast of Downton Abbey are running a special campaign to help raise money for the men, women and children in the Philippines so badly affected by typhoon Haiyan three months ago to get back on their feet. The video […]
Only ONE MORE DAY to go to get involved with saving elephants in Kenya. There is an interesting list of lots in the Elephant Appeal that The Independent are running, including a Tracy Emin picture of mother and baby elephant […]
I can’t tell you how many children of divorce I know who have felt at some point that it was all their fault that their parents split up. The separation of parents at any time of life is a very […]
I tried a recipe yesterday given to me by the World Child Cancer charity and they worked out really well. The charity improves cancer diagnosis, treatment and care for some of the world’s poorest children and they need our help […]
It’s nearly here!! I’m not ready. I haven’t prepared. Done NO training this year. Never mind. I’ll get through it. As always. Buoyed up by the vast swell of pink (mostly) women to raise money for breast cancer research in […]
I am (sort of) in training for this year’s Pink Power Walk which is happening on Sunday 13th May. My daughter thinks it’s hilarious that I need to train for a “walk” and keeps asking me if I’m getting nervous […]
A friend of mine was recently in Rwanda. She writes very movingly about her experience and about how it has changed:- It’s an early start. Breakfast is at 5.30am. We want to get the border as it opens to avoid any length queues which might hold us up. It was a good decision. Despite leaving a bit behind schedule (a familiar scenario) we are first to the border and get through pretty quickly, just as large crowd is forming behind us. We get to Kigali in good time, which means we can visit the Genocide Memorial Centre before the flight back to Nairobi. We all remember watching the news at the time but nothing we saw on our TV screens portrayed the full extent of what happened in Rwanda in 1994. The exhibition was harrowing. The chain of events difficult to take in. Impossible to understand. Images too graphic to dwell upon. Stories from survivors too upsetting to hear. We were all left numbed by the experience. In 1994, all civil life in Rwanda had totally collapsed. The country was dead. That was just 17 years ago. It seems inconceivable that a country could recover from that horror in such a short time. But Rwanda appears to be in full recovery – Arun (our driver) says that the country is doing well, developing at a rapid rate. Our experience was a wholly positive one. It’s a beautiful country and we felt very safe and welcome there. I hope their troubles are over – for good. For more information regarding her trip you can read about it here on the Singing Wells Website http://www.singingwells.org/singing-wells-news/victorias-reflections-on-kisoro-the-batwa/
How are you all getting on??
My teenage son is looking forward to visiting a nearby pub who are offering a free pint for everyone involved in growing a moustache for November month - I'm not really sure he'll get away with it though - I've taken a photograph so that you can see the problem he might have - it's a little bit bum fluffy ("no offence" - as my daughter would say to cover anything bloody rude that comes out of her mouth).....we may need to add a bit of dye to it or mascara before he turns up so that they don't have to use a magnifying glass or worse still turn him away...:- 
Whereas on the other hand, here is my brother's splendid effort thus far. Now he has two more weeks to start developing the handlebars:- 
Gosh. Don't their nostrils look huge taken out of context....So. Let me see your efforts? Otherwise the donation I'm offering is going to one of my family members to add to the charity. Photos please (nostrils included - it's funnier).
GET GROWING THAT FACIAL HAIR - I've started - there really is no excuse.
For this month - formerly known as November, men (and women??) will start to sprout and sport splendid moustaches. This is all for a very good cause - check it all out here:- http://uk.movember.com/about. It is to raise much needed funds and awareness for men's health - especially prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
I have been thinking about my father hugely of late and no more so than today - the first day of Movember. He died almost exactly a year ago now from bowel cancer and we have all recently agreed that not having him around seems to be getting harder, not easier and we are all missing him hugely. He had one of the most splendid moustaches so this month will be hard. We all keep seeing similarities in other people .... SO why not turn a sad situation into something more positive.
Could you please send in photos of your moustaches from around the world and at the end of the month we will pick a winner. I promise to give generously to the charity for the best moustache - I want your stories of where your hair growth takes you, who you meet and general updates over the month too.
Let the battle begin. Ready, steady, GROW....
Here, in honour of my father and just to start things off is his effort. Beat that:- 
We walked the walk, again, yesterday – 16 miles to raise money for breast cancer. It was a glorious day, not too hot, but sunny. Everything looking splendidly green, in amongst the pink. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, did it in […]
I am delighted to have been asked to be on the committee for a fashion show a girlfriend of mine is putting on in support of “Maggie’s” in February next year. Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres is a charity that provides […]
