READING: Innocent Traitor - Alison Weir

When did I become so old?!! 

Last weekend I was RAMBLING in Hastings and this week i've been unable to put what is essentially a History book down. It'll be Gin and Tonics with my slippers on in front of the fire before I know it. I often wondered when people 'got old'. You know that time when they stop wearing trainers and heels and instead buy shoes from the back of the Sunday paper and all their clothes, miraculously turn various shades of brown. Well I can see it happening to me.. WTH?! Next weekend i'm out on the razz come hell or high water. I will not go down without a fight.

Anyway back to the subject in hand (I also lose my chain of thought really easily, another sure sign pf age). Innocent Traitor is the true story of the Great niece of Henry VIII. Since reading this I have set my Virgin Tivo box to record the TV series The Tudors, testament to not only how old i'm getting and how quickly it's happening, but also to how bladdy great the book was! I hated History at school and remember absolutely nothing from it. But am now fully immersing myself in it. Deary me... *flicks to back of sunday paper* May as well embrace it.

Lady Jane Grey was dealt the most unfortunate hand and suffered greatly at the hands of her social climbing parents. 

A historically factual work of fiction. I wasn't even aware that was possible until now, but i've learnt and i've enjoyed so 2 birds with one stone :-). Highly recommend it. Was reading another book at the same time and it doesn't even warrant a mention as this was hands down the better of the two. Even if you aren't that interested in history I think you'll enjoy it.

PR xx

1066 Ramblers... BATTLE!!

So a random suggestion made at the end of last year finally led us to Hastings. On a "Ramble". Am I 60?! What the hell has my life become? I consciously left the comfort, shops, pavements, street lights and bars of London at 9am on A Sunday morning to drive 2 hours to Hastings to go for a WALK!! Honestly, I no longer recognise myself. 

Other ramblers, looked at us as if we were lost and had wandered a little too far East of Soho. This could be due to the fact that one of us was wearing a white sheepskin/fur jacket, one of us had bright red Nike's on (it was my way of proving I was trendy and not a 60 year old who liked walking on cliff sides), one of us was wrapped in a picnic blanket with a staff, clearly channeling Moses or Gandalf and one of us had a quiff and a leather jacket. All in all we were ill equipped for the trip (although we did have a stash of Brandy for emergencies). The side glances we got from seasoned Ramblers in hiking boots, rucksacks and hi-vis jackets was testament to this fact.

Did we have blast? Errrmmmm Yah! The most amazingly unexpected time was had. Who knew a cliff side in sleepy Hastings could bring so much joy?! The company obviously had a lot to do with it, but the views were AMAZING! The challenges some of the cliffs presented often had me wanting to turn back, especially as it meant getting my Nike's dirty. But we persevered, through slips and cliffs and nudists and were rewarded with the most exhilirating experience. Who knew walking could be so much fun?! Well, obviously those people who have been rambling for years knew.