Life

For inspiration with writing this first column, I turned to Grownups' other columnists. That really freaked me out; and I almost threw in the towel at that point. But for Leigh Bramwell, I may well have given up.

Baking soda is traditionally used as a raising agent in baking. However, this cost effective little ingredient hides its light under a bushel. Bicarbonate of soda has a myriad of uses that are not related to baking around your home.

Their parents need a break and you have agreed to take care of the grandkids while they are away for a week or two. Looking after them full-time is going to be fun but also a bit of an adventure in that there are probably other things you may need to mana

The sight of tender, new leaves gracing bared boned trees, roses and climbers and the first freesias, erlicheer, magnolias, bluebells, jasmine and first spring blossoms just lift the spirit, don't they? If you can't wait to get outside and enjoy the garde

As a grandparent, I can't think of a better way to make my grandchildren feel relaxed and sleepy at the end of the day than to snuggle up with them and read them a bedtime story.

Cooking in the late 60's and 70's was much less exotic than today.

Being a grandparent is a joy and a privilege. But what happens when things get complicated? How do you continue to be a loving and committed grandparent if you child and their partner separate or face difficulties?

If you are over 65 years old, you have a one in three chance of falling this year. For people aged 80 or over, the risk increases to one in two.

This column I will talk a bit about fertilising roses and what you need to do to have great roses. Fertilising roses is like pruning, it needs to be done to get the best results but if you are a week or two late, it is not the end of the world.

This column, I will talk about some of the common diseases that affect roses and some of the ways you can minimise their appearance in your garden.