Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. (J.K Rowling)

I live in London, however was brought up in Kent. I currently own two rescue hamsters, a nervy girl who likes trying to escape and a younger girl who acts like I am trying to kill her if I try to pick her up! I get the adults only ones.

Gift ideas
- No chocolate please. I say this after receiving one too many chocolate bars that I cannot eat as they state on the labels "may contain gluten" I'd rather not have to face the disappointment that this brings.
- Gluten free biscuits - can be brought from most supermarkets in the free from section. Not Jaffa cake though ... too disappointing! I quite like jammy dodgers, custard creams, hobnobs. If you are coming from abroad, any from your free from section is fine.
- Bars of soap - Any size or fragrance. Small is really nice.
- The hamsters like monkey nuts (peanuts still in their shells) and I love listening to them taking off the shells.
- Candle (2nd hand is fine!)
- Face masks
- Hand made things
- Ground Coffee - preferably Fairtrade,
- 2nd hand things.

I love reading a wide variety of books as you will see from my list of books read. I am trying to read the BBC top 200 books (2003) I have read over 100 of them now, however I suspect a new list will be out before I complete this list! I love the eclectic nature of the list, although I still struggle to classify "Winnie the Pooh" as a novel!

I am also enjoy independent travelling, however clearly was curtailed in 2020-21. I did go abroad for 4 weeks in 2019 after discovering cheap coach travel and how cheap it is to eat if you go self catering. I felt really frivolous at the time, however am so glad that I did.

I am learning French, hence you'll see a few French books in my TBR list (and a few availables)