I’ll be honest—I know next to nothing about wine. My knowledge of reds and whites pretty much stops at the supermarket offers and which one gives me the worst headache. But since moving to the Test Valley some 10 years ago, I’ve seen more vineyards than chalkstreams, and that got me wondering: why on earth are we suddenly surrounded by grapevines?
Soil, Sunshine and a Bit of Luck
Turns out, there’s a bit of a quiet wine revolution ...
England lost on Tuesday. No one cared. Why?
There was a time — not so long ago — when international football was the pinnacle of a player’s career. Pulling on the shirt of your country was the ultimate dream, the highest honour, the ticket to immortality. It was where legends were made, where the game transcended club allegiances and players became national heroes and household names.
Now? Now it’s a logistical headache, a ...
Picture the scene. You’re an angler. You’ve lovingly and regularly caught a 50lb carp named Barry for half a decade. Barry’s more than a fish—he’s a legend, a slippery mirror carp with a fan base and a gut a barstool bullshitter would envy. Then, one frosty morning, you find poor Barry half-eaten on the bank, looking like he's been on the wrong end of a knife fight with a furry torpedo.
Enter the otter, Britain’s aquatic comeback ...
A Chance Encounter at Bridport Market
It all began on a casual stroll through Bridport market, one of those unhurried afternoons where you have no particular plan other than to see what treasures you might stumble across. My partner, Jennifer, has a knack for spotting interesting details (and people), and that day, she elbowed me sharply.
“Look at him,” she whispered, pointing.
Sitting there, as cool as you like, was a gentleman ...
It’s 2024, and somehow, we’re still stuck having the same worn-out argument about whether women like Alex Scott are “worthy” of presenting football programmes. You’d think by now, these critics would have moved on to a new pastime—maybe funding Nigel Farage’s next grift or shouting at traffic—but no. They’re still clutching their remote controls, ranting on Facebook, and grumbling into their pints about how women “don’t ...
