• I managed to get to Bodnant Gardens this afternoon. Not at it’s very best at this time of year, it is none the less a lovely place to go for a walk nestlings, as it does below the Snowdonia Mountains, which are still topped with snow at the moment.

    I did enjoy the trellissing in the rose garden. There us something very Parisian about it, almost as if they are girders from the eifel tower.

  • I visited Ysgol Maes Owen today in Towyn, on the North Wales coast, a trip that had been organised by Conwy Libraries. All the children had lots of questions and some had researched my website so well, they knew more about me than I did!

    I did lots of drawing with the children. It’s always amazing how, if they follow the instructions, they all draw the same picture but each one is different, reflecting the style and personality of each child. The ones that were reluctant all did really good drawings too.

    Thanks for a great day everyone.

  • Something about being by the seaside made me want to get fish and chips tonight. So I walked the mean streets of Llandudno and got into Tribells just before they closed.

    That’s when I realised that the tomato sauce sachet must be one of the worst designs ever.

    When you get it to tear down the “tear here” line, the plastic tightens up, so it becomes impossible to tear off a corner. You then have to squeeze the sauce out in a random direction, usually over the table. When you do get the sauce out, it is never enough.

    There must surely be a better way of serving portions – I’m not sure about the little paper cups and the press squirt dispenser system either.