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I have just returned from a wonderful holiday in Madeira with my seven “Poly Dollies”. This year was special because we were celebrating 50 years since we first met as students at Birmingham Polytechnic....

You know that moment when someone asks you for a favour… and your brain says “no,” but your mouth says “yes, of course!”? It happens to the best of us. Especially in English. Because...

I’m just doing my annual soup fasting in Bad Orb, a pretty village east of Frankfurt, and although the homemade soups are actually quite tasty, I’m really looking forward to Sunday lunch with the...

Last weekend we celebrated my Dad’s 99th birthday in England, and it was a truly special family day. He was born in 1927. At that time, the world looked very different. Television had only...

It‘s carnival time in Germany. For many people, this is a serious matter. Costumes are planned carefully and shops are full of wigs and outfits. Carnival here is important and attracts many tourists in...

Every year, I make a traditional English Christmas cake. It is a very rich cake, full of dried fruit, and after it has rested for a while, I cover it with a layer of...

I’ve never been one to rely too heavily on textbooks in my classes. While they have their place, I find that real learning happens when we talk about real life. My students bring so...

My son got married last weekend, and it was, in many ways, a very modern wedding. There was a live stream so that family and friends from far away could joined virtually. The invitations?...

I have just spent my weekend near Dresden with my dear student Astrid – and decided to take the train as I really didn’t fancy the long drive. Of course, true to form, the...