In November 2024, I walked into Girvan Primary School with no plan and came home with the seed of an idea that would change everything. This is the story of how The Magical Adventures of Florence the Border Collie went from a single school visit to a 23-book series — and how a Beatrix Potter box set, a brilliant illustrator, and a very lazy Border Collie made it all possible.
I have never been good with numbers. Never. Not even a little bit. This week I've been thinking about the teacher who made sure that never mattered — and about the rather wonderful way life brought her back into mine decades later. Oh, and there's a guitar involved.
There is a version of my life that I've carried around in my head for a long time. Super fit, cycling Scotland, parked up somewhere beautiful in my campervan with a cup of Tetley and a homemade flapjack. But dreams have a habit of arriving slightly different to how you ordered them.
Eleven years ago today, I opened a tearoom on April Fool's Day. People thought I was mad. They weren't entirely wrong. This is the real story behind The Magical Tearoom on the Hill — and why its second edition feels like the perfect way to mark the anniversary.
Drum roll, please. Let me proudly introduce a newly published author, HC Parker.
Last October, I received an email from Helen asking if I would be interested in helping her self-publish her new book. That’s like asking me if I want to taste some Cadbury’s Dairy Milk!
