As I shake out the blanket and prepare to lay it out, there’s a scurry of activity as the insect population races to get clear. I’ve slipped my shoes off and I can feel the dry crispness of the long grass scratching my ankles. There’s a hum of bees and flying bugs and the gentle breeze sets a background soundtrack of gentle rustling. It’s warm but not stiflingly so, thanks to the light breeze. With the scene so perfectly set for rest and relaxation, how could it go wrong

I have an itch. It’s aggravated by beads of sweat dripping slowly down my back. A fly starts buzzing near my ear, drifting close and...

My legs dangle on either side of the seat and my hands grip tightly to the handle in front of me. I can smell sun-baked metal and freshly...

I had a problem and it felt very uncomfortable. I should have been better - at least that’s what my mind told me. You wouldn’t have...

I once thought it would be a great idea to hike a steep hill on a hot, hot Australian day.  I’m not sure quite what got into me that day...

There’s one road that I drive on every few months that always distracts me. It’s in a deep valley and the landscape expands outwards in...

I tried to look away but there was something so compelling about watching her. Or rather watching the life she was (half) experiencing...

When my dad was growing up he was desperate to join the police. He was bought up in North Yorkshire at a time when the school system...

I looked out of my window and I could see the sky bursting with colour. The clouds looked almost luminous as the light backlit them,...