"Good friends are like quilts-they age with you, yet never lose their warmth."

I've seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with ageing.

Whose business is it if I choose to read, or play on the computer, until 4am, or sleep until noon?  I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50s, 60s and 70s, and if I , at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk on the beach in a swimming suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.  They too will get old.

I know I'm sometimes forgetful.  But there again some of life is just as well forgotten.  And eventually I remember the important things.

Over the years my heart has been broken.  How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one or when a child suffers or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car?

But broken hearts are what give use strength and understanding and compassion.  A heart never broken is pristine and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I'm so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning grey, and to have my youthful laughs to be for ever etched into deep grooves on my face.  So many have never laughed and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older it's easier to be positive.  You care less about what other people think.  I don't question myself any more.  I'v even earned the right to be wrong.

So to answer your question, I like being old; it's set me free.  I like the person I've become. I'm not going to live for ever but while I'm still here I won't waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.  And I shall eat chocolate every single day (if I feel like it).

How to plan a small living room

The thing to bear inmind is that you really don't need much room in a living room. A living room is for socializing, for gazing at the fire or for watching TV. Mostly, it is for conversation. You do not need space to do yoga in the living room. In fact, as long as you can walk around the coffee table, you're fine.   (http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/6408892/list/11-Design-Ideas-for-Splendid-Small-Living-Rooms)

You can pack a lot of style into 100 square feet. But whatever your style, making a small living room work is all about choosing a focus and arranging the right furniture in the right configuration.

If your room is two rooms in one, make sure to link them with decor but define them, for instance with a floor rug, and divide them if possible. by perhaps putting the sofa at right angles.


Go for

• A simple scheme
• Keep furniture small
• Light coloured furniture
• Low furniture enables the eye to see over the top, creating a feeling of space
• Built-in furniture
• Glass coffee table (unless you're like me and have a toddler visiting)
• Mirrors reflect light and make the room seem bigger
• Good storage

For other ideas also see:

Channel 4: http://www.channel4.com/4homes/rooms/living-room/living-room-design-ideas/design-ideas-for-small-living-rooms

How Stuff Works is always a helpful site: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/secrets-to-arranging-furniture-in-a-small-space.htm

Better homes and gardens (but beware, they'll keep trying to sign you up to their site): http://www.bhg.com/decorating/small-spaces/strategies/living-room-ideas/

It's high time to lighten the mood

Bring a brighter, more summery feel into your home

While we might not be able to coax our climate into endless sunshine, we can do something about our homes.  From balmy sky blues and look-at-me lipstick reds to colour-clashing and prancing pheasants, there's a lot you can usher into the house to brighten it up for summer.


Furniture revamp

Strip furniture, rebuff and repaint it to give it a more Mediterranean feel, see Baroque Ardor (baroque-ardor.co.uk), perhaps applying farrow and Ball paint (http://www.farrow-ball.com/?gclid=CL-h0uHW5rgCFZPItAodd3YAkQ). 

It's recommended to choose the fabrics first, and allowing this to dictate the colour scheme for the room.  For ideas of fabric see Parna (parna.co.uk) or eBay.  For furniture to revamp, see auctions or local second hand shops, also try The Treasure Trove (thetreasuretrove.co.uk) for bespoke furniture treatments.

Fresh, summery pastel green, pink, blue and monochrome designs celebrate the richness of our wildlife and bring a welcome sprinkling of summer into the home.

Novel ideas include pheasants, partridges, hares, stag heads, ponies, even tractors.

Change your outlook

Out with the heavy interlined curtains, in with the floatier summer fabrics.  If you start with good fabric which has been woven well, then new curtains do not have to cost a fortune, see Pret a Vivre (http://www.pretavivre.com/), a company specialising in English fabrics and wool linens spun by weavers in Italy.


Cheaper, more lightweight fabrics, which still hang well and feel luxurious to the touch, include the mixed blends linen viscose (from around £33 a metre ) and wool linen (£38).

Many home owners rip out the back of their house to extend, installing bifold doors, but haven't given any thought to what to do with the light flooding through; heavy voiles diffuse the light and give a little more privacy.  Vintage linens, which are treated before they are woven give a two-tone effect to window dressings.

Beyond France (beyondfrance.co.uk) stocks beautiful hand-spun vintage linen, including caramel striped grain sacks (from £45), which can be transformed into attractive window blinds.  Botanical prints on blinds dress up a tired bathroom or kitchen.

Colour and texture

Stick to a neutral palette of beige or grey sofas or chairs and highlighting with colours such as dusky pinks or burnt orange in your customs or fabrics (see Remodelista com, the celebrated website for interior designers).


Otherwise, for those who are feeling a little more adventurous, clash colours - otherwise known as 'colour blocking' - with bright pinks and reds and fluorescent accents.  Mint green is very popular at the moment. Pastel pinks, orange and bit of fluorescent coral combine well, and painters' dropcloths can be used as tablecloths or as instant casual slip covers if you're tired of your upholstery.

The home-improvement empire that is Martha Stewart (marthastewart.com) has an entire section devoted to 'dropcloth decor', cushion covers and pillowcases dyed in bright citrus hues, similar in texture and colour to muslin but a fraction of the price (from fabric shops and DIY stores).

Bodie and Fou (bodieandfou.com), the top interiors blog and shop, recommends lightweight Moroccan rugs and sunshine-yellow throws for a 'beachy' feel.  

Also try the beautifully hand-spun cotton dhurries (flat woven rugs) or runners from Mahout (mahoutlifestyle.com) in lime greens and deep reds, with bold chevron, chain-link and diamond patterns.


Wawa (wawa.co.uk), is an interior design company known for its bold and bright modernist approach, champions statement oranges, yellows and reds against barely there blues and natural tones in their fabrics.  They suggest giving simple furnishings a seasonal boost by combining florals with strong colour and feisty pattern for a more contemporary feel. 

Try mixing botanics with bold stripes, delicate voiles and satins, in a palette of acid limes, turquoise blues and pillar-box reds, 'an eclectic mix of styles and colours, with a nod to Fifties retro, to create that holiday feel within the home.

(Ideas from The Sunday Telegraph, 30 June 2013)

Or, if you have absolutely no money, buy a cheap set of light-coloured, or very bright, bedding. Then cover your cushions with the pillow cases (folding back the excess fabric) and drape the sheets in your windows and furniture. 
This will create a similar effect to that suggested above - then come the winter, the bedding can be used as bedding again.  And no need to spend a fortune!

Holiday Photos

How to take holiday photos

Keep it real

Don't compete with postcard photography when there is usually such a varied, culturally rich array of subjects to capture off the beaten track on holiday.  

Immerse yourself in local routine: start in a market, go to local barbers, launderettes, restaurants and bars.  Commuter routes are great for portraiture as there are so many people in one place. 

Reportage-style photography is my favourite as it tells the true story of your holiday - be sure to capture the moments of anger and mayhem during long queues or in airport lounges too.  Exposing humanity, warts and all, makes for such interesting and emotive shots.


Make your photos feel local

Include place-specific details - a cobbled street, an unusual plant - in the foreground to inform the viewer of your location.  

Change perspective to encompass an interesting scene: hold your camera above your head, get access to a rooftop or lie on the floor for a shot across the ground.



Use the rule of thirds

Divide your lens into nine boxes with two lines that run horizontally and vertically (you can imagine this or turn on the 'viewfinder' option that most cameras have).  

Position your subject along the lines within the first six boxes to the left or right and leave the remaining boxes as background space.  This off-centre composition frames the subject and adds energy and interest as the subject actively 'moves' into the shot.


Choose a different angle

Crouch down close to your subject and point your camera upwards for a powerful portrait.  A wide-angled shot taken at long distance allows you to snap a subject that is moving quickly.  

Use your zoom to avoid the cliched picture of the Eiffel Tower and focus in on interesting details, such as tiles or door frames.  'Sweet' light (the warm yellow, orange or red light of late afternoon and candlelight) provides beautiful shadows that will enhance texture within your photographs.

Use your phone

A smartphone is great for portraiture because you can access if quickly to capture a moment  Bring the subject close to the lens and hold your phone horizontally to compensate for the lack of zoom. 

There are plenty of apps that allow you to take creative photos on holiday without taking bags of professional equipment. A panoramic app is great for capturing a square or souk, and try Cinemagram (http://cinemagr.am/)or Vine (http://www.ibtimes.com/vine-new-video-photo-sharing-service-twitter-has-become-porn-hub-just-four-days-its-inception) for fun videos.  



Exhibit your work!Print your favourite holiday photos: it's a shame to leave them on your computer.  Start an album or display them in your room as seeing them on a dreary day will put a spring in your step.

Keep it in perspective


Remember: the eye and the camera are completely different.  Your eyes can see much more colour and light - plus, we have two of them - so don't feel frustrated if your shot doesn't look as good as the real thing.  

Persevere and experiment with your photography and keep in mind that brochure and magazine images have often been heavily altered.  Never delete your shots.  There is no such thing as a bad photograph as long as you have conveyed what you saw or how you felt.


From an article in the Telegraph by Gisele Scanlon, photographer and author, her new book 'The Goddess Experience' is out now £12.99 Harpur Collins).