Western Daily Press

Heady in Here

I Write for a living - or try to. Whether it can actually be called a living when expressed in monetary terms is debatable, but as my old dad used to say, if you earn a crust doing something you love doing, you'll never have to do a day's work in your life. The bank manager may take a different view, but such is life. Writing novels and articles means working at home, beavering away, nose to the grindstone. At least that's what I tell everybody including him who must obey, who works outside e...

Floral Folios ; Two Tales of Everyday Life Told Through the Eyes of a Florist Are a Blooming Sensation, Writes Tina Rowe

Two tales of everyday life told through the eyes of a florist are a blooming sensation, writes Tina Rowe When florist Sally Page wanted to tell the story of a year in the life of an English country flower shop, publishers told her that it was "too English" and she was not "famous" enough to make it a commercial proposition.

Chocolate Heaven

Please don't say I'm the Juliette Binoche of Cong-resbury," laughs chef Lisa Clarke. "And don't say I'm the new Willy Wonka!" As if. It's certainly hard not to think of the films Chocolat and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when you talk to Lisa.

Bypass Westbury and You'll Miss a Treat ; While Residents May Be Celebrating Because Their Town Is Finally Being Given a Bypass, Suzi Dixon Says Rerouted Travellers Will Be Missing a Lot. Pictures: Richard Hudd

While residents may be celebrating because their town is finally being given a bypass, Suzi Dixon says rerouted travellers will be missing a lot. Pictures: Richard Hudd After 30 years of campaigning, Westbury is finally getting a bypass. The pounds33.1 million scheme, approved this summer and with work scheduled to start in the next 18 months, is a boon for overwhelmed residents.

Along the Right Lanes

Everyone has an opinion on decorating homes, it seems, even if it's just about the merits of magnolia. But when it comes to our gardens, we're far less clear about what we want, at least when it comes to the "furnishings". People spend a great deal of time considering the plants and shrubs they want, but far less time designing their garden or thinking of what is needed to make the scheme work as a whole, says Bryan Ferris of Lanes Garden Shop in Ilminster, Somerset.

Standing Out From the Crowd

Four months after launching to the fizz of champagne bubbles and much eager anticipa-tion, Tetbury's latest boutique has proved a hit with the Cotswolds crowd. The Biba-inspired boutique stocks sought-after labels such as Nancy Mac, French Sole, Lofli jeans, Noli, Avoca, Nougat and Woolford, but already owners Gary Maude and Colin Gray are planning to expand the collection further with new brands for the spring/ summer season.

The Bear Necessities ; You Don't Have to Go Into the Woods Today to Get a Big Surprise! Mervyn Hancock Discovers Some Teddy Bears Having a Great Christmas in Dorset

You don't have to go into the woods today to get a big surprise! Mervyn Hancock discovers some teddy bears having a great Christmas in Dorset When United States President Theodore Roosevelt took pity on a bear during a hunting expedition, he never thought he would be responsible for a craze which has become dear to the heart of children of all ages for more than a century.

Going Underground to Shelter From Storms

The local rainfall figures for the six months of summer and autumn are remarkable. In May, June and July we had more than twice the long-term average, while in August, September and October we reached only just over half the average. November started dry but, since then, the balance has started to be redressed. Prolonged periods of wet weather eventually take their toll on wildlife, especially mammals which are stuck outside all the time.

It's a Dog's Life

Ihad my day's shooting this week. Shooting is like a lot of outdoor activities: you have to have the right kit. By the time I started to get ready, time was already running out. First off, the gun. I knew where the gun was, - in the gun cabinet, which is located well out of sight in an old attic.

Teddy Bear Facts

The Ideal Novelty and Toy Corporation of America became the first company to produce teddy bears. The Dorset Teddy Bear Museum's oldest bear dates from 1906 and is based on the original pattern.

Be Enchanted

Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum. Adults, pounds7, concessions pounds6 and children, pounds3. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening until December 30. No dogs. Be amazed on the 11/2-mile trail through the arboretum's famous trees, lit up in a kaleidoscope of colour. See the beauty of the trees as never before and watch out for some special effects.

This Palace Is Fit for All the Family ; for a Quiet Night Out or a Place with a Buzz, Wendy Best has Found the Ideal Restaurant

For a quiet night out or a place with a buzz, Wendy Best has found the ideal restaurant There are times when the last thing you feel like doing is cooking and the day we visited the Beijing Palace was one of those occasions.

Up Hills and Past Convents ; Enjoy the Views and Valleys On This Circular Walk in the Cotswolds, with Sue Gearing

Enjoy the views and valleys on this circular walk in the Cotswolds, with Sue Gearing This six-mile Cotswold circle starts on the high windswept Selsey Common in the south Cotswolds, south of Stroud, and drops down the side of Nailsworth Valley with glorious views, going through honey coloured Cotswold stone hamlets, fields and woodland.

Proper Way to Pig Out

Iwas invited to sample the new winter menu at a restaurant recently and my heart gave what can only be described as a hop, skip and jump when I saw that the main options included slow-roast belly pork. Now there's a dish which will gladden the soul and convince one that there are still some things worth waking up for in this world. I had a vision there and then: a handsome chunk of collapsing pork topped with blistered, salty crackling and sitting in a moderate lake of shallot gravy.

Recipes

Ingredients for four 4 lamb shanks

Dramatically Appealing

Lacock has five pubs, which seems a lot for a village of only 350 souls. But then Lacock is no ordinary village. It is a time capsule, a community that grew up over five centuries around a medieval abbey and then, in about 1800, ceased all new development. The owners of the village, the Talbot family, wished no further intrusion from the modern world, and stuck to their guns until 1944, when Matilda Talbot, last of the line, gave the whole caboodle to the National Trust.

Fortifying Flavours of Port

Every Christmas, the port producers come up with some new wheeze to rekindle our enthusiasm for these neglected wines. This year, Cockburn's have been inventive, getting celebrity chef Chris Barber to pick dishes to go with their ports.

Plot Lines with David Clensy

With the allotment herb garden coming along nicely, I figured it was probably time to actually use some of my crop, rather than simply admiring their various shades of green as they spring from the soil. Everyone knows how to throw a sprig of rosemary in with the Sunday roast, or sprinkle a sage leaf in with your stuffing. But it's surprising how few people head out with a pair of secateurs when they fancy a cup of herbal tea.

Practical and Pretty

There are just 10 days left to get your shopping done, including today. But with garden retailers open seven days a week all year round and car parking plentiful and free, it needn't be a chore. In fact, many large garden centres have an amazing range of distinctive and original gifts on offer. So if you can't face the scrum in the high street, head for your local garden centre and check out the great Christmas gifts on offer there. Here are a few ideas.

New Year Is Looking Rosey

The first sale of the new year at Charterhouse in Sherborne includes flowers that will brighten up any winter's day. "People these days like to buy pictures of flowers as opposed to, say, paintings of dead animals," says auctioneer Richard Bromell. "The trouble is, I'm not green-fingered by nature, so I've had to build up my knowledge of flowers. When I get it wrong, some clients are quick to tell me about it!"