It’s relentless. And exhausting. First we had 10 months of chilly rain, then a heatwave, then a cold spell, before wave after wave of heat. Having spent Monday recovering from the weekend, I then spent Wednesday recovering from Tuesday. Sadly, I had to go to a funeral of a friend which sparked memories of times …
A feast for the senses
A nice catch up with friends in their cool garden before having a picnic lunch in Seaton began the week. The sea was as blue as the Med and just as hot. We took our photo against the backdrop of a palm tree and could indeed have been in far flung sunny climes. Tennis …
Strawberries and Cream
The week began with a conundrum. My shopping came to £11.33 and I handed the cashier (an unsmiling young lad) a £20 note. The change was handed to me…£12. Mmmm I asked for the receipt which he also scrutinised but evidently floored by it. I gently suggested that £9 was the change and looked at …
Heatwaves past and present
Memories of ’76 are all around this week and indeed for the coming weeks, with temperatures up in the 30s, just like that long ago summer. Although this heatwave is short, the heat of ’76 lasted for weeks, with water shortages, Saharan dust, great music – it was the year of ‘Under the Moon of …
Warming up…
The week ended on a note of excitement as I picked a presentable amount of strawberries after a garden tidy session. After a struggle for survival, quite a few of the plants have not only survived the blistering sunshine followed by Biblical deluges, but have woken up to produce fruit in the recent more …
A feast for the senses
my week ending 7 June Rapturous applause greeted the end of the dramatic production of Carmen by Exeter Opera Group. Iryna mesmerised the audience with her singing and performance of the title role. The Warmth and friendliness of the performers shone through, and they kindly stayed on to chat to the audience in the …
w/e 31 May 2026
A lot of hot air The heatwave continued relentlessly, punctuated by the inevitable downpour and clap of thunder. We just about made it from our car to a friend’s garden, all thoughts of a stroll and a picnic vapourised by the heat. British homes and bodies are not designed for sudden changes to high …
w/e 24 May 2026
Old Books, Music, and a Junk Exchange Event Inspirational Iryna Ilnytska again raised the roof of the Cathedral with a selection of arias for Ukraine. Her efforts were richly rewarded, as well as enjoyed by the appreciative audience. All monies raised are sent directly to known volunteers in Ukraine who spend the money on …
w/e 10 May
This week got off to a cracking start with a well-received talk I gave about the Blue Streak, after which the artefacts and photos got people up and talking. It is a great privilege to show the wind tunnel model of the rocket. And meet someone whose father was out in Woomera at the …
w/e 15 March
Saddened by reading on the BBC News website that hereditary peers are to be phased out. They are politically neutral, have inherited lots of land and property many of whom have given a lot to society over the years, and by being in the House of Lords I think instils a sense of having …
Karen Hedges 