Jumpy - Duke of York's Theatre review

I was lucky enough to be given a preview ticket for the new and soon to be a hit comedy, Jumpy, at The Duke of York's Theatre last week. This fabulous play by April de Angelis stars Tamsin Greig (you'll know her from Green Wing and Episodes) who plays a 50 year old mum of a 17 year old teenage girl. It's a play that will strike a chord with all those with teenage children and I found myself squirming at quite how accurate a portrayal it is.

April de Angelis really gets inside of the head of a middle-aged mum. I saw myself reflected more than once in the behaviour of mother towards her daughter. Who hasn't sat slumped after a hard day at work only to immediately brighten in tone and body language when a child comes through the front door. This is made all the more poignant and real by the subsequent, grumpy toned 'Alright' as she breezily asks 'How was school today?'. Often with a glass of wine in hand, mum Hilary is frustrated by the lack of impact she has on those around her and looks back on her youth (she was a Greenham Common protester) and the fact that once she was relevant.

It's a mid-life crisis comedy and has all the usual suspects, a hankering after a lost youth, a lack of passion in a marriage, a best friend who refuses to grow up and still believes she is sexy, and of course, a teenage girl of foul disposition but amazing frailty.

Don't let this put you off. Far from being cliched the writing and the acting transcends the mundane and obvious subject matter. We really feel for these characters and the smaller characters who weave in and out of the story-line. Tamsin Greig is superb but so is her best friend played by Doon Mackichan (Smack the Pony) and her daughter, Bel Powley, who plays moody then clingy with real belief.

Anyone who grew up in the 80's will recognise the soundtrack which includes music from The Clash, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Adam and the Ants - all giving us an insight into the mother's background and experiences. The staging too is very clever. All white with minimalist furniture it switches from a living room, to a bedroom to a beach scene easily and credibly.

I won't give too much of the story away here - safe to say it is instantly recognisable, very funny and in parts will reduce you to tears. Go see it while you can, it's one of the best things I've seen in the West End in quite a while.

Jumpy, The Duke of York's Theatre, St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4BG. 16th August - 3rd November 2012. Tickets from £15-£75.

Philips ReAura - the treatment time is over...

My wrinkles are definitely less obvious than before.

This was before, and okay it is smiling, but you can see the skin texture has greatly improved.

Well it's been a while and I have been pretty good at sticking to the Philips ReAura laser skin rejuvenating regime over the last few months and I can honestly say it has had an effect. Strangely I found my skin changed in terms of it's sensitivity during the trial, sometimes I could get the dial up to 3 with very little difficulty, sometimes it was just too uncomfortable above 2. Maybe it's my hormones? Or maybe my pain threshold just fluctuates. Anyway never was it too uncomfortable and I can honestly say it has made a real difference.

I have started going without foundation or BB cream on more days than not - and have had many complements on how fresh faced I'm looking, which is a first since I hit 40.

I have noticed that deep lines around my eyes and on my forehead are definitely far less noticable, and that the fine lines across my cheeks have also reduced in number and appearance. I feel as if I have had a weekly facial, but one that doesn't bring out spots and reduces redness too. Strangely my skin feels smoother to the touch and I look far less tired. All in all this product needs sticking with quite religiously but does have a really positive effect.

Forehead before shot

This is closer up but again, skin texture is definitely brighter and younger looking

If you want to read more about my trial of the Philips ReAura then please read my opening post and this post which gives the low-down half way through the trial period. I am happy with the way it has all turned out and will be keeping the machine close at hand (no tucking it into the top of a cupboard and forgetting about it) to give myself  'top up' treatments.

The Philips ReAura is £799 and is available at space:nk



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Site Errors Breakdown

Webmaster level: All

Today we’re announcing more detailed Site Error information in Webmaster Tools. This information is useful when looking for the source of your Site Errors. For example, if your site suffers from server connectivity problems, your server may simply be misconfigured; then again, it could also be completely unavailable!  Since each Site Error (DNS, Server Connectivity, and Robots.txt Fetch) is comprised of several unique issues, we’ve broken down each category into more specific errors to provide you with a better analysis of your site’s health.

Site Errors will display statistics for each of your site-wide crawl errors from the past 90 days.  In addition, it will show the failure rates for any category-specific errors that have been affecting your site.

If you’re not sure what a particular error means, you can read a short description of it by hovering over its entry in the legend.  You can find more detailed information by following the “More info” link in the tooltip.

We hope that these changes will make Site Errors even more informative and helpful in keeping your site in tip-top shape.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know through the Webmaster Tools Help Forum.

Written by Cesar Cuenca and Tiffany Wang, Webmaster Tools Interns

Half a gigameter of biking navigation in 12 countries in Google Maps for Android

Whether you’re a seasoned century rider or a casual beach cruiser, finding the best biking routes can be a challenge. That’s why today we’re bringing mobile biking directions and navigation to the 10 countries where we launched desktop biking directions last month (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK). Plus, we’re adding turn-by-turn, voice-guided biking navigation to Google Maps Navigation (beta) in every country with biking directions. Mount your device on your handlebars to see the turn-by-turn directions and navigation, or use speaker-mode to hear voice-guided directions.

Turn-by-turn biking navigation in Copenhagen

We know there are lots of ways to get from here to there, which is why in 2010, we added biking directions to Google Maps in the U.S. and Canada, and continue to work to bring more biking features to more places. Today, there are more than 330,000 miles (equal to more than 530,000 kilometers, or half a gigameter) of green biking lines in Google Maps. Dark green lines on the map show dedicated bike trails and paths with no motor vehicles, light green lines show streets with bike lanes and dashed green lines show other streets recommended for cycling. Biking navigation even helps you avoid steep hills.

Bike layer showing recommended streets for cycling in Stockholm

Where Map Maker and biking directions are both available, riders can add bike trails, lanes and suggested routes to Google Maps, helping to create a more comprehensive map for everyone living in or visiting their community. Thanks to the contributions of members of the biking community like Todd Scott and our partnership with nonprofits like Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we’ve added bike data for hundreds of cities and trails to Google Maps in the past two-and-a-half years.

When you’re pedaling from Point A to Point B, we hope biking navigation will make Google Maps for Android more useful to you.

Posted by Larry Powelson, Software Engineer, Google Maps

(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)

Artist Impression of the 5000 naira note

What do you think?

Evil: Can you just imagine

The committee set up by the NMA (Nigeria Medical Association) in Bauchi was asked to investigate the matter stated that,the patient at an operation in a private clinic was performed not by a doctor.

 For 23 year old Abubakar Buba, nothing could be more cruel in life that what he is currently passing through as he was so unfortunate to have fallen into wrong hands in his quest to seek medical treatment for what was initially thought to be malaria.

This is pure wickedness if you ask me...

MoovBoots make me feel wintery...

I would almost welcome winter if I had a pair of these boots. MoovBoots marry a lightweight natural latex rubber shell with a great design with a lining of softest Australian Merino Sheepskin. They are 25% lighter than trad rubber boots and the insides are breathable. I would love a pair but they are on the tad expensive side...

The Arena collection (shown here) comes in a mid-height at £225 and high style for £235. They are another sheepskin classic from Australia and are all handcrafted and designed to fit your foot shape perfectly - I can but dream!

A smart internet marketing strategy

A smart internet marketing strategy

For the last couple of years, I have been grappling with the idea of making money online. Although I searched and found a lot of information, but most of it was vague and did not give me any concrete answer to the most important question: what to actually DO to make some money on the internet.

During my quest of getting answers, I came across a very informative video on the internet which gave me a lot of information about internet marketing and gave me some pretty good food for thought. The video talked about Niche Markets what they are and why they are important to any person who would like to make money on the internet by selling a product or service. In fact, the concept of Niche Markets is applicable to any business or service provider, whether they operate on the internet or otherwise.

If you look it up in the dictionary, the word; Niche means A situation or activity specially suited to a person's interests, abilities, or nature.

A Niche Market is a group of people with a common interest or ability or nature, who would all be interested in a common product or service. The common interest of these people can be anything ranging from a common hobby, a common problem, a common cultural background, to any common desire they might have. Let me explain this to you with a few examples:

1) A niche market of people who have a hobby of scrapbooking

2) A niche market of people who have common problem of lower backache

3) A niche market of people who are all Hispanics

4) A niche market of people who have a common desire of learning plumbing

A smart internet marketing strategy

People with common interests tend to cluster and you can easily find pockets of such people online; in forums and groups or visiting websites of their interest.

It is best to direct your marketing to select niche audiences for maximum benefit to you and to them. It is always a waste of time, effort and resources to market your product or service to a niche audience which is not interested in what you are selling. For example, if you try to sell scrapbooking materials to a niche audience who wants to learn plumbing, you will not get any customers. Granted that you will find a rare plumber who also likes to maintain his scrapbook, but you will not make a profit! Similarly, marketing a new and effective acne product to a group of people with lower backache will only lead you to lose the money you spent on marketing your innovative acne solution to them.

Research is key to smart internet marketing strategy

Niche Marketing is very cost effective and powerful; the world's most successful businesses use this concept to maximize their profits. Therefore, if you have a certain product or service that you want to sell, concentrate your marketing efforts to the Niche Market that it caters too. Conversely, if you do not have a specific product in mind that you want to sell online, it is advisable that you seek out large Niche Markets and then think about what they would be interested in buying and then provide them with that particular solution/product/service.  A smart internet marketing strategy = Research

Dear men; Who would you 'hit'? Venus vs Serena

The tennis champ sisters on the cover of New York Times. Guys, who would you hit? :-)

BBA winner Karen Igho shows off bikini body

What do you think guys?

OUCH: Spanish mag puts Michelle Obama's head on a portrait of topless slave

 

 Spanish magazine, Magazine de Fuera de Serie placed Michelle Obama's head in a 1800 portrait of a slave with an exposed breast, with an article that says - 'Michelle Granddaughter of a Slave, Lady of America'. Both Mrs Obama's great-great grandfather and great-great-great grandmother were slaves.
What do you think of this? Offensive? Racist? Artistic?

Making it easier to cast your ballot

The first presidential nominating convention, held in 1832, was meant to give Americans a voice in the selection of the presidential nominee. Fast forward to 2012 and these conventions still represent a major moment in American politics—and we’re helping the conventions reach a larger audience by being the official live stream provider and social networking platform for the Republican National Convention in Tampa and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

In conjunction with our on-the-ground efforts, we’re making a number of online tools available to help you get organized and informed as Election Day approaches.

Get informed
Our Google Politics & Elections site enables you to see the latest Google News, YouTube videos, search and video trends, and Google+ content about the election in one place. You can also visit our live Elections Hub to watch the national political conventions, debates and even election night LIVE right from your mobile phone or laptop.

Register to vote
To make it easy to navigate the rules and deadlines about registering to vote and how to vote by mail, we put together an online voter guide. We’ve also added a special section to make it easier for military and overseas voters to find information about their different rules and deadlines.

As we approach the final days of the election, we’ll continue to develop useful ways for voters and campaigns to engage one another around the important issues in 2012.

We hope these tools will help you stay informed and participate in the election!

Posted by Eric Hysen, Google Politics & Elections Team

Please leave DonJazzy alone oh

Hyping the Don unnecessarily,is really not cool.....Abegie let him be.

Clarins HydraQuench Cream-Gel review

It is at this time of year in particular that I find myself drawn to moisturisers that feel just that - moisturised. Whether it's my skin or my hair that feels dry I like to indulge and get back that glow and great condition.

HydraQuench Cream-Gel from Clarins is one such product as it is a cooling gel with the efficacy of a cream. And I love it! I use it as a daily moisturiser and it works with keeping my skin soft while feeling cool and refreshed. It is totally non-oily which I also love and is perfect for my skin which tends to be normal/combination.

It contains Katafrey extract which is exclusive to Clarins products, which helps reinforce my skin's natural brier. Hyaluronic acid helps add more moisture and my skin does look smooth and matte. It also has Alpine willow herb and pomegranate extract which is great for tightening up pores and apparently has an extra complex to help fight of the harmful effects of pollution in the air - though how I know this for sure I don't know!

I have been using it morning and evening and my skin looks good even when I wake up so it's obviously doing something right. This is a light cream perfect for summer days with skin that is not too dry.

Clarins HydraQuench Cream-Gel is £33.50 for 50ml.

13 teenage Chinese prostitutes arrested in an apartment in Lagos

The girls arrested at Emina Crescent, Ikeja.

13 teenage Chinese prostitutes have been arrested and detained by the Nigerian Immigration Service following a raid of their base on Emina Crescent, off Toyin Street, Ikeja. The immigration service raided the apartment following a tip off.

More than 40 teenage girls were brought into the country and camped in an apartment for Nigerian politicians, business executives and expatriates to hire for sex at the cost of between $1,000 and $2,500. The cartel was run by Chinese couple named Sun and Yin Li.


They've been operating for a while and a source in the know said the business was booming and the couple were in the process of importing more girls before they were raided. Only 13 girls were picked from the apartment. The Chinese couple, along with some other girls, managed to escape from the apartment and are now in hiding.

NIS spokesman, Joachim Olumba confirmed the arrest and said the girls are in their custody. He also said they are on the trail of the kingpin of the sex ring. And after investigations, they will either deport the girls or hand them over to their embassy here in Nigeria for appropriate action

Tweet fight: Joan Rivers vs Rihanna

Naira : 5000 Naira Note To Feature Faces of Heroine

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday announced a comprehensive review of the structure of the nation’s currency that would lead to the introduction of a N5,000 bill as the highest naira denomination next year.

Sanusi said the new N5,000 note would have the portraits of three women who fought for the country’s independence.

They are Mrs. Margaret Ekpo, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba. In addition, Sanusi said the back of the N5,000 note would have the picture of the National Assembly complex.

The CBN governor said the currency review, which he called, “Project Cure,” would allow the bank to convert lower denominations of N5, N10 and N20 into coins. Sanusi said 50k, N1, N2, N5, N10 and N20 would now be in coins, while the banknotes would be N50, N100, N200, N500, N1,000 and N5,000.

DRUMMER BOI FREE BEAT GIVEAWAY VOL. 3

Its Friday and you know that means Drummer Boi is dropping a free beat for you guys out there. This goes hard as usual.

Download: drummerboi beats (fri 23 aug) - 02:38

 

 Download HERE 

OMG!!! Kanye Tweets This?

The Tweet has since disappeared from his timeline but that's his verified account. People who saw the Tweet immediately it was posted said the rapper deleted it almost instantly. Unfortunately too many people saw it in the 3 seconds it was up and saved it. How can he Tweet that, even as a joke? Oh dear Kim! :-)

Nigeria's Next Super Model Screening To Hold Today

Nigeria's Next Supermodel, the leading model search contest in the country will hold its sceening today 24th August at the Best Western Hotel,on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island,Lagos.

If you are interested and you'av gat what it takes......Be there.

Marks and Spencer Body Fit jeans

Over the year's many a company has tried and a few have succeeded to create denim tailored for a range of body shapes. And those that do, often come with a premium price-tag. So I was happy today to read about Marks and Spencer  launching a new range of jeans, Body Fit Denim, designed to fit women with curves. I hesitate to use the words 'real' women as all women are real, but these are for those, like me, who can't wear  hip skimming, low-cut demin that pinches and increases the chance of muffin top.



Lisa Snowden has curves and has been advertising for M&S for a while now. Here she is wearing the Marilyn jean which is one of three new shapes set to solve all jean buying problems.
You will be able to calculate which style is most appropriate for you by subtracting your waist measurement from your hip measurement.

The three shapes available in the Body Shape Denim range for M&S Woman are

The Lana Jean for apple-shaped bodies


The Eva jean for pear-shapes


The Marilyn cut for hour-glass figures

They launch instore on 5th September 2012 in a straight leg, indigo wash and the sizing is great too, from 8-22. Priced at £25 there are three length options. Hope there are some left in a medium 12 by the time I get there!

Google Maps heads north...way north

Search for [cambridge bay] on Google Maps and you’ll fly to a tiny hamlet located deep in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut in Canada’s Arctic, surrounded by an intricate lacework of tundra, waterways and breaking ice. High above the Arctic circle, it’s a place reachable only by plane or boat. Zoom in on the map, and this isolated village of 1,500 people appears as only a handful of streets, with names like Omingmak (“musk ox”) Street and Tigiganiak (“fox”) Road.


View Larger Map
Cambridge Bay in Google Maps
There are 4,000 years’ worth of stories waiting to be told on this map. Today, we’re setting out on an ambitious mission to tell some of those stories and to build the most comprehensive map of the region to date. It is the furthest north the Google Maps Street View team has traveled in Canada, and our first visit to Nunavut. Using the tools of 21st century cartography, we’re empowering a community and putting Cambridge Bay on the proverbial map of tomorrow.

The hamlet of Cambridge Bay
We’re not doing it alone, but with the help of the community and residents like Chris Kalluk. We first met Chris, who works for the nonprofit Nunavut Tunngavik, last September at our Google Earth Outreach workshop in Vancouver, where he learned how to edit Google Maps data using Google Map Maker. Today Chris played host to a community Map Up event in Cambridge Bay, where village elders, local mapping experts and teenagers from the nearby high school gathered around a dozen Chromebooks and used Map Maker to add new roads, rivers and lakes to the Google Map of Cambridge Bay and Canada's North. But they didn’t stop there. Using both English and Inuktitut, one of Nunavut’s official languages, they added the hospital, daycare, a nine-hole golf course, a territorial park and, finally, the remnants of an ancient Dorset stone longhouse which pre-dates Inuit culture.

Catherine Moats, a member of the Google Map Maker Team, working with Chris Kalluk and others at the Community Map Up.
Now we’re pedaling the Street View trike around the gravel roads of the hamlet and using a tripod—the same used to capture business interiors—to collect imagery of these amazing places. We’ll train Chris and others in the community to use some of this equipment so they can travel to other communities in Nunavut and continue to build the most comprehensive and accurate map of Canada’s Arctic. As Chris put it to us, “This is a place with a vast amount of local knowledge and a rich history. By putting these tools in the hands of our people, we will tell Nunavut’s story to the world.”

The Street View Trike collecting imagery of Cambridge Bay.
So stay tuned, world. We look forward to sharing with you the spectacular beauty and rich culture of Canada’s Arctic—one of the most isolated places on the planet that will soon be, thanks to the people of Cambridge Bay, just a click away.

Posted by Karin Tuxen-Bettman, Google Earth Outreach team

(Cross-posted on the Lat Long Blog and new Google Canada Blog)

The U.S. election, live on YouTube

Today we’re introducing the YouTube Elections Hub, a one-stop channel for key political moments from now through the upcoming U.S. election day on November 6. You can watch all of the live speeches from the floor of the upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions, see Google+ Hangouts with power brokers behind the scenes, and watch a live stream of the official Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. You won’t need to go anywhere else for the must-watch moments of this election cycle...they’re all happening on the Hub live.

In addition to videos from politicians and parties, a diverse range of news organizations—both established names in media and sought-after new voices—are sharing their coverage of the political process on the new hub. You’ll find live and on-demand reporting and analysis from ABC News, Al Jazeera English, BuzzFeed, Larry King, The New York Times, Phil DeFranco, Univision and the Wall Street Journal. Each will put their own stamp on the Presidential race—from the conventions to the debates to election night.



Of course, we’ll have special live coverage around the Republican National Convention from August 27 to 30, the Democratic National Convention from September 4-6, the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates in October, and election night. Bookmark the Elections Hub now for a front row seat along the road to the White House.

Posted by Olivia Ma, YouTube News Manager

(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)

Mapping the Motor City with Google Map Maker

Hailed as the birthplace of the automotive revolution, the city of Detroit, Mich. is taking its transportation legacy down new paths. As Detroit embraces a greener, non-motorized outlook, cycling is steadily increasing in popularity. The Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance is facilitating this transition by creating an interconnected statewide system of trails and greenways, including the development of bike paths throughout the Detroit area.

As these new bike paths change the city’s landscape, Motor City residents need a more comprehensive map showing bike friendly routes. Todd Scott, the Detroit Greenways Coordinator, discovered that he could use Google Map Maker—a free tool that allows anyone to make contributions to Google Maps—to add new information on biking paths and trails in and around Detroit. Adding new bike paths not only makes the map more accurate, it also improves biking directions, making it even easier for people to find the quickest routes through town. Anyone can also enhance existing trails by including details such as the official name, surface type and bicycle suitability. Keeping Google Maps updated with the latest information means everyone in the community is able to find and enjoy these new additions to the trail system.

Learn more about Todd Scott and his mission to improve the map for cyclists in Detroit.
Building a more comprehensive, accurate and usable map for local cyclists is just one part of Todd’s mission. From the smallest town to a rapidly evolving city like Detroit, maps reflect the heart of a community. Whether you’re improving directions, adding local businesses or mapping an entire area from scratch, your local expertise will help make life easier for not only you, but all Google Maps users. As Todd says, “It goes beyond map making. It’s a way to take back your neighborhood.”

How are you mapping your world? Join the Map Maker Community and tell us your story.

Posted by Lori Savageau, Map Maker Community Manager

Naked Skin by Urban Decay review

I always thought that having the word 'decay' in the name of a beauty company was a little strange, but I do like some of their products and I suppose it does give them a different spin.

Anyways.... I was given a bottle of Naked Skin Weightless Ultra-definition Make-Up to try and I must say I do like it. I was wedded to my Stila All-Day Foundation but it is a bit on the heavy side (only a tiny bit mind) for hot weather. Naked Skin feels just that, naked, which is a bonus when you're travelling on the London Underground in sweltering heat.

I like the packaging too - sleek and minimalist and modern looking.

So what's in it? Naked Skin is oil and paraben-free and formulated to make your skin look just about perfect, which it really does. It contains nourishing ingredients too including a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide (Matrixyl 3000), brightening Litchiderm and Green Tea to antioxidise. Skin is hydrated with sodium hyaluronate which also helps absorption. You can use as little or as much as you like - I found one pump covered my whole face to perfection.

There is no spf but I use a moisturiser with that anyway so it doesn't bother me. It goes on really smoothly and gives a matte appearance - again great for shiny days. There is no fragrance so you just don't notice you are wearing it. My bottle seems to be going a long way too which makes it reasonably good value for money - can't think when it will run out at this rate! If I have one gripe (and it is a very small one) it's that it doesn't last all day and needs a bit of a touch up after around 6-8 hours. Of course it depends on what I've been doing - sitting in an air-conditioned office will probably help it last, rushing about like a loon won't. But this is a small gripe and goes with the fact that it's such a light product to wear I wouldn't expect it to last amazingly really.


Naked Skin Weightless Ultra-Definition Make-Up is £28 and comes in 18 different shades across the spectrum, available from Debenhams.

Don Jazzy denies the Kanye West/D'banj reconciliation

I'm sure some of read online today that Kanye West is working on reconciling D'banj and Don Jazzy and has even      threatened' to drop D'banj from G.O.O.D music if he doesn't reconcile with Don Jazzy...or some story like that! Don Jazzy says the story is false!

Search Queries Alerts in Webmaster Tools

Webmaster level: All

We know many of you check Webmaster Tools daily (thank you!), but not everybody has the time to monitor the health of their site 24/7. It can be time consuming to analyze all the data and identify the most important issues. To make it a little bit easier we’ve been incorporating alerts into Webmaster Tools. We process the data for your site and try to detect the events that could be most interesting for you. Recently we rolled out alerts for Crawl Errors and today we’re introducing  alerts for Search Queries data.

The Search Queries feature in Webmaster Tools shows, among other things, impressions and clicks for your top pages over time. For most sites, these numbers follow regular patterns, so when sudden spikes or drops occur, it can make sense to look into what caused them. Some changes are due to differing demand for your content, other times they may be due to technical issues that need to be resolved, such as broken redirects. For example, a steady stream of clicks which suddenly drops to zero is probably worth investigating.

The alerts look like this:

We’re still working on the sensitivity threshold of the messages and welcome your feedback in our help forums. We hope the new alerts will be useful. Don’t forget to sign up for email forwarding to receive them in your inbox.

Posted by Javier Tordable, Tech Lead, Webmaster Tools

Sunny Weekend at Black Dog Farm

Another weekend another birthday party - or so it seems at the moment! This weekend saw us driving down in the heat to Wiltshire, just over the border from Bath and on the doorstep of Longleat to celebrate my friend, Karen's birthday. She has done the big step of leaving North London and moving to the country, to a remote 16th century cottage on the edge of a bluebell wood. Beautiful as hell, but not within striking distance of a pint of milk or a newspaper so hopeless for me...

What she was within striking distance of however, was the Black Dog Farm B&B which is at the end of her track and on the A36 - so easy to get to and a great base for exploring the area.

Black Dog Farm has been run as a B&B for the past 18 years by Lyn and Fraser Mills and it is with them that we stayed the night, staggering back along the track in the dark after an evening of drink and food. What lovely people and what a lovely place to stay.

If you are looking for bijou, boutique hotel then forget it. Black Dog Farm is traditional, slightly old-fashioned but brilliantly English, with those little touches that show that the owners want you to feel special. It was originally a coaching inn hence the close proximity to the road, and now sits within it's sprawling farm outhouses with a cottage garden reminiscent of a Peter Rabbit story.

There aren't any rabbits but there are chickens and home-made jam. The welcome by the couple is genuinely warm and friendly. Nothing is too much trouble and the rooms pretty and traditional too, with en suite and a comfortable bed. Ours overlooked the garden and a wide sky.

Breakfast was a real highlight and was enormous. Everything was excellent quality from the sausages to the fresh coffee. On returning from our night out we came across Fraser making fresh bread for the morning which provided perfect toast - what more could you ask.

Black Dog Farm is within striking distance of Bath, Bristol, Longleat Safari Park, mystical Avebury with it's ancient standing stones and many other interesting places in this fantastic part of the country. Prices are really good and they welcome those with young children (though not dogs as they have one of their own). Check their site for rates, details and more on the surrounding area.

The Black Dog Bed & Breakfast

The hen house

Black Dog gardens

A proper Georgian farmhouse hallway

The breakfast at the Black Dog Bed and Breakfast

The standing stones at Avebury