About

My middle name is Ruth, which means kindness. This is a joke in the family because I am known for being Ruth-less. It’s true. I do struggle with being nice.  I blame this on anything: genes, upbringing, star sign, sibling order, school. Anything but me.

I am trying to be nicer though! I have decided that my actions are going to be kind. But the thing is, the unkind thoughts need somewhere to go and this, here, tra la, is where they will be banked.

It’s a public service really, blogging, so I can be a better person in real life.

I have three children, (12, 4 and 3) a step son, and a step grandson which makes me at the ripe age of 41, a step grandmother.  I wanted to be called The Grandma by the Sea but it didn’t stick and now it looks like I’m Step-Nana. Poetic huh. I model myself on Catherine Tate’s Nana. (In private, of course.)

There is also a husband, a sister, a brother and lots of nieces and nephews. Oh, and a Dad. A Dad who’s been quite poorly – hence the title – but now is doing bloody brilliantly, thank you for asking. I should perhaps change the title of the blog, but I’m quite attached to it. Now that husband is a grandad too – eek – it is even more confusing but ho hum. This is it for now.

I love reading and writing. I have written novels and some children’s stories and a local publisher has agreed to publish one. Now, I just have to shout at the illustrator and make her cry. (Not really).

‘The Tiger who came to Tea’ is my favourite children’s book. I love Sophie’s patterned tights. I love the mother’s hair. I love the cat in the dark street. Sometimes I feel like Sophie, but mostly I feel like Sophie’s mother. Sometimes, I wish I could be the tiger and just walk in, fill my boots and walk away.