Nigel was early in entering the old, oak panelled board room. This was his first meeting since taking over as chairman and he was well prepared; in terms of his planning... The business had been founded by Nigel’s great grandfather Cornelius Emanuel Havering and had remained a 100% family controlled and run business ever since. … Continue reading Clara’s Coffee
We fell in love at first sight with the imposing old stone house on the side of the valley in the small Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge and came to live there as soon as we could. It had been built to last until the end of time by a wealthy Victorian mill-owner and had … Continue reading Thud
He wanders along the footpath by the river, enjoying the sunshine and the views. Being on his own in the countryside has always been one of his purest pleasures since childhood. The fells, the river and the woods with only nature as his companion were always sheer delight. The wind murmuring through the trees, the … Continue reading What lies Beyond?
The little New England town of Rockport was a favourite of Ross’s. He’d managed to finish a meeting early in nearby Gloucester and taken the opportunity to make the short detour up to this little fishing port. Early evening, midweek in Fall was a dream. Famous for its granite from the nearby quarries and then … Continue reading Exile
‘Wake up, we’re here!’ Caroline came to with a start and guessed she must have been asleep for hours. Sebastian’s car was so comfortable, so quiet and with gorgeous big seats that adjusted in every conceivable way. Once they had passed that awful traffic around Paris and were speeding down the AutoRoute again, she had … Continue reading Les Jardins du Chateau
Simon and Matthew Sykes had always been close. With only a year between them, there had, perhaps, been a good chance that would be the case. But they were very different and this was always a reason why people were surprised. Simon was by far the bigger of the two, tall, fair, broad-shouldered and seeming … Continue reading The Loving Brothers
The drive up to The Lakes the previous day had been wet and dreary for the Smiths. The kids had nearly driven them mad with their continuous squabbling, shouting and kicking. Even restoring the phones (confiscated before setting out to encourage appreciation of the countryside) had not solved the problems. Buster the beagle however, perched … Continue reading Buster
The café was mercifully quiet when Mel entered. The off-to-work crowd had departed and the mums-and-toddlers had yet to arrive. She loved this quirky spot with its eclectic mix of old sofas, scrubbed bare wooden tables and artwork old and new. The building had originally been part of an old factory and had even retained … Continue reading Remembrance
Charlene Entwhistle swung around her pole. She loved to practice. Each morning, she would spend an hour or so on her exercises. First the yoga to warm up, then the pole and finally the floor and weights that got her body closer to the shape she sought. A priority at the moment were the glute … Continue reading Dolores
Twins, Rory and Stuart were universally held to be a credit to their parents. Six foot, blond, blue-eyed, identical twins, everyone loved them, said they were just perfect, model sons. A common comment was that they had inherited the best physical, intellectual and behavioural qualities of both parents. The only criticism ever heard about them … Continue reading Conflict
