When the chips are down, it's the small things that keep us sane. The new life of a budding tree, or a vertically bouncing lamb.  Primroses amongst bluebells, a wet dog in a cheerful coat (with an even wetter, more bedraggled owner), a bird song, children laughing, sunrise... Small things can...

Paddington Bear - complete with Dunlop Wellingtons, green felt duffle coat, bashed, elephant grey hat (and safety pin), and label arrived in time for my 8th birthday. Delivered by my beloved Godmother, he was intermittently treasured, admired, or left to observe family life from atop the wardrobe for the next...

Awakened at 4am by a battering storm I was unable to ignore, the day seemed young as I logged on to get a head start. Cup of tea in hand, I read a comment accompanying an early morning web order: "I bought one of these about 8 years ago and it was...

Ah, Paris. It was here that the rationale for more than the homemade Totseat chair harness came about (but only after the excellent discovery that, when travelling, an extremely efficient method of sterilising bottles etc, is to use a plastic shopping bag, sterilising tablets and the bath taps to make...