Writer

Oman - Woman & Home

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My travel feature for Woman & Home magazine on our stay in Oman

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MND in the Sunday Express
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My article in the Sunday Express, backing the #UnitedtoendMND campaign. It's calling for £50million investment from the government to set up an MND Research Institute. With research into MND at a crucial tipping point, this could make a huge difference in finding treatments and a cure.

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MND article for Daily Express

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My comment piece for the Daily Express featuring my lovely Dad who died from MND. It's great news that following the #Scrap6Months campaign, the rules have now been changed which will mean easier access to benefits for the terminally ill in the last year of their life. I'm proud to have been a part of the MND Association/Marie Curie campaign which pushed so hard for this change. 

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Radio Times 'Radioheads' Column

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My feature for Radio Times magazine on how I'll be spending Mother's Day this year, ahead of my special programme of dedications on Classic FM! 

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Sunning ourselves in the Seychelles

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The Daily Telegraph

The perfect spot for a family holiday, Silhouette Island in the Seychelles has a lot to offer with turquoise clear blue seas, sandy beaches with giant boulders, and rainforests that stretch up the mountain as far as the eye can see. There was plenty to do with nature hikes and crab-spotting, snorkelling and creole cookery classes. Staying at an eco-resort means you're helping to do your bit, as they give you a metal water bottle to use with filtered water, and have banned plastic straws. All in all, a real tonic for the soul.

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The Maldives - an island idyll

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Family Traveller Magazine

A welcome return to the Maldives for us, and this time to a resort that was a short boat trip from the capital Male. We saw turtles and sharks on a guided snorkelling trip, and dolphins on a cruise in a traditional Dhoni boat. A real highlight was the 'lagoon lunch' where you sit on a picnic table in the sea, surrounded by baby sharks! 

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Health & Wellbeing column

My monthly column for Health & Wellbeing magazine talking about my tips to help you be healthy, happy, and stay in shape! This month it's about my challenge to walk 10,000 steps a day.... have I managed to stick to my target??

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Spending a musical weekend in magical Maastricht

Every year for the last eight years I have hosted Andre Rieu's Maastricht concerts that go out in cinemas across the UK. Thousands flock to see him perform live in his hometown, and those who are there for a few days experience the charm of the city with it's beautiful architecture and buzzing cafes and bars. This year Andre's concerts are 'A Tribute to Love' and you can see the show go out in cinemas on weekend of 28th & 30th July - the next best thing to being there in person!

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Team trip to Tuscany

Mail on Sunday

We decided to recreate the holidays of our childhood and go on a big family trip with Ella Rose's cousins. We stayed in a beautiful seven bedroom old stone farmhouse in the Chianti region of Tuscany. Gugliaie was the perfect location as a base to explore, and being part of the Villa Le Corti Estate meant there was plenty of opportunity for wine-tasting right on our doorstep.

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Toddling off to the Maldives

Mail on Sunday

After our babymoon in the Maldives when I was pregnant with Ella Rose, we take her back as a two year-old so she can experience this slice of paradise for herself. On a visit to Conrad Maldives Rangali Island we go on a dolphin cruise, an underwater safari plus dinner in an underwater restaurant...

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Holidaying as a family in Dubai

Mail on Sunday

Our first long haul holiday with Ella Rose - having loved our previous trip to Dubai we wanted to go back for a relaxed family sun holiday. Staying at the Anantara on the Palm for a few days we made the most of a swim-up room by spending lots of time in the pool. Then a few days at Per Aquum Desert Palm, a gorgeous boutique hotel surrounded by polo fields where Ella Rose had her first go on a pony!

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Sani resort in Greece

The Telegraph

Our very first holiday with Ella Rose when she was seven months old! Visiting Sani resort in Halkidiki, we found every family-friendly detail had been thought of, from a baby puree menu to a 'babewatch' nanny service on the beach so you can go for a dip in the sea. 

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Crete - Daios Cove & Spinalonga

Mail on Sunday

Our trip to Daios Cove in Crete, a coastal resort built into cliffs where every villa has a beautiful sea-view. It was a week of sampling the best Greek food; grilled fish, souvlaki, Greek salads and seafood. We took a trip over to Spinalonga, the island that was a former leper colony and the inspiration for the book 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop.

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Safari in Zimbabwe

The Telegraph

Our safari adventure of a lifetime in Zimbabwe. Staying at Little Makalolo Camp in Hwange National Park, Ruckomechi Camp in Mana Pools and Victoria Falls Safari Club. On an action-packed trip we saw a pride of seventeen lions, were charged by a bull elephant, went canoeing with hippoes on the Zambezi river, and even tried eating a local delicacy the mopani worm!

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British Virgin Islands & an Island-Athlon

The Telegraph

Discovering Peter Island, a private island in the British Virgin Islands, with secluded sandy beaches and over a thousand acres of unspoilt scenery. We undertook the 'Island-athlon' challenge, where you cycle, kayak and run around the island. Teaming it with a trip to Antigua, we stayed at The Inn at English Harbour, a blissful place to stopover. It was the ideal base for a trip to Shirley Heights, where every Sunday there's a steel band and plenty of rum cocktails!

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Sailing in Greece

The Mail on Sunday

A week's sailing holiday at Vounaki in Greece where we find our sea legs - learning to sail boats, windsurf and water-ski. A great holiday to come back from feeling relaxed and invigorated after a week on the water.

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Sightseeing in Dubai

The Independent

We experience the opulence of the emirate, staying right on the beach at the Al Qasr Madinat Jumeirah. We dine at the seafood restaurant Pierchic, the Buddha Bar at Grosvenor House, and the Burj Al Arab where we try the 'Culinary Flight' experience with a course in each of its restaurants. We also fit in a dune buggy experience, plus a spot of retail therapy with a trip to Dubai mall, one of the the biggest in the world.  

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