Book Review: Beasts in My Belfry by Gerald Durrell

I'm a big fan of Durrell's writing, where his love of nature shines through with warmth and humour. This book follows his early days, where he got a job at Whipsnade Zoo in order to gain more experience of working with animals. Over the course of the year Durrell would work with a variety of …

Book Review: Every Living Thing by James Herriot

This is the second of the two Herriot books I picked up at a charity thing a few months back. Set a couple of decades after Vet in Harness, this follows our Yorkshire based vet on his adventures in the 1950s. As with the earlier book this is a collection of reminisces and anecdotes, and …

Book Review: Vet in Harness by James Herriot

This is another book I picked up at a charity event with only a vague knowledge of. I knew that James Herriot's books had been adapted for film and television under the title All Creatures Great and Small, and he existed on the periphery of my general knowledge. I picked this and another of his …

Favourite Books of 2018

That time of year, when I look back over the previous year and pick my favourite things. We're starting with books. I read quite a few new books this year, so here is my top ten, divided, as ever, into fiction and nonfiction. Nonfiction 5. The Panther in My Kitchen by Brian Blessed The legendary …

Book Review: Encounters with Animals by Gerald Durrell

I first became aware of Durrell through My Family and Other Animals, his memoir about his childhood living in Greece. The hilarious book is filled with the misadventures of the Durrell clan but also captures young Gerald's growing fascination and love for nature. In adult life he would go on to work with animals, including …

Book Review: The Panther in my Kitchen by Brian Blessed

Brian Blessed is a true national treasure in my eyes. The bearded, booming actor is full of life, humour and eccentricity, and the world is a better place for having him in it. This view would no doubt be shared by the many animals the man has befriended, loved and cared for over the years. …

Ranking Pets

Does what it says on the tin. 7. Rabbits Names: Thumper and Cottontail Rabbits are the worst.  My sisters and I were suckered in by the fact they look cute and are traditionally portrayed well, like Bugs Bunny, Bucky O'Hare and Buster, Arthur's mate. But when we got them we realised they are awful pets.  …

1 down, 8 to go

If being a parent is half as stressful as this week, I'm happy to wait a while, because fretting about what MWF calls "our little fur baby" was a stressful and tiring experience. Midnight, our little black fuzzball, is a natural scavenger and any food below waist height is fair game as far as she's …

London Part 5: Chicken and Cats

Dan took us to a place called Ma' Plucker a small place that did chicken. You picked a base, sauce and type of chicken and I went for maple waffle, fried chicken and gravy. It sounds weird but it really worked. The atmosphere was laid back and food was a little slow but we didn't …

15 Minute Blog: Psycho Seagull

Current mood? Tamping. Fuming. Raging. I'm currently sat down waiting for MWF (as a taken man 60% of my life is waiting) as I wait I sip a pink lemonade Lucozade to sate my thirst. My hunger, however, is not satisfied. This is despite me spending £2.99 at Starbucks. Urgh, tax dodging Starbucks. I'm more …