One woman’s love for her Thames-side home

Micki Gooding

Muriel Gooding – Micki to her friends – has lived beside the Thames just off Chertsey Lane in Staines for 44 years and in that time, she’s experienced quite a lot.

‘Wonder’ product that is just that

Mort Smith stands beside the bow of Terra Nova

I usually ignore all television advertising – I haven’t believed a single claim manufacturers make about their ‘wonder’ products – commercials are simply an annoying interruption to whichever programme I happen to be watching as far as I’m concerned.

Jumble so much fun for boating enthusiasts

Beaulieu boat jumble

At any time of year there are few prettier places in the UK than the New Forest – but for boat owners there’s a special reason to head south on Sunday, April 29 because that’s when the country’s biggest boat jumble takes place at Beaulieu.

Testing times in floods of 1947

As I sit to write this column, it’s pouring with rain – but don’t let that detract from the fact that we’ve just come through one of the driest winters on record – and hosepipe bans are now in force across most of the southern United Kingdom.