The more friends dogs have, of both the human and canine variety, the more fun life is. Luckily all...
Author - Avril Broadley
How to run a FUN dog show
I’ve responsible for a dog show in Hackney for quite a few years now. It’s part of the gardening...
My strategy to beat the January blues
‘I feel stuck. Life seems to be on hold and I’m living in limbo, waiting for something to shift...
Canal clean-up: one tin can and plastic bottle at a time
If you follow the growngals instagram feed you’ll have already seen pictures of my weekly canal...
Death with dignity – I want a say in how I die
With Halloween and Day of the Dead on my mind I’ve been thinking about planning my death. Much has...
How to clean a burnt pan without harsh chemicals
I grow attached to my pans. Their individual personalities become familiar; how quickly one browns...
My blueprint for greener living
I was twelve years old in 1975 when the British sitcom The Good Life hit our screens. Tom and...
Anti-ageing and cruelty-free beauty for breakout prone skin
When I wrote a piece about cruelty-free beauty and choosing products not tested on animals it...
Seychelles island hopping – tips to make paradise more affordable
I love tropical adventures and this post is about how to experience the Seychelles, the ultimate...
Dog friendly Kent – a road-trip to Whitstable, Ramsgate and...
My other half celebrates his birthday in summer so we usually take a few days off with Ricci, our...
How to make a glass splashback: DIY step-by-step
I have lived without anything behind my bathroom basin for too long. I decided that what I needed...
Learning to love my wrinkles and embrace ageing
I really didn’t think it would be this difficult to embrace ageing. Having never been blessed with...
Sea pollution – the oceans are being poisoned by our laundry
Plastic soup is the name given to the garbage that causes sea pollution. Plastic bags, bottles...
Ten tips to make the most of a small shady garden
I have learned to love shade. From November to March my garden was completely overshadowed by the...
Menopause: five online resources to help you survive
It’s World Menopause Day so I thought I would share the blogs, facebook groups and posts that...
Growing fruit & veg; tips from my secret garden
I have what I like to call a ‘secret garden’. It’s actually a neighbour’s walled garden, which they...
Breast screening – why I opted out of a routine mammogram
After I turned 50 I got the ubiquitous call for breast screening and dutifully went along. It hurt...
Animal testing, the ugly side of beauty
I stupidly thought we’d won the battle against animal testing on beauty products. I was WRONG. It...
Writer’s block – I’m stuck and lost for words
I have writer’s block and my blog is suffering from severe malnutrition. The one thing that a blog...
Wild garlic pesto – recipes for foraged feasts
It’s spring and that means that wild garlic is in season. It grows abundantly across the UK...
Starting adult ballet classes – aged 54
Last autumn I was casually scrolling through my Facebook feed when a BBC video of a 71 year old...
Fat-free sweet potato crisps
There are lots of recipes for vegetable crisps on the web but many include olive oil and salt. I...
10 revelations about my working class childhood
I wish the whole working class thing was behind us but it isn’t. It’s now more difficult than ever...
My 5-day detox diary – no dairy, sugar, wheat or alcohol
I’ve just completed my own version of a 5-day detox and I can’t believe how amazing I feel. I’m...
Getting to grips with men and their midlife crisis
Men will always be something of a mystery. What I do know is that the male midlife crisis isn’t...
How to survive dry January
We are just 12 days into the New Year and I’m seriously beginning to regret my dry January...
Is tube travel a metaphor for hell?
don’t like tube travel and avoid it as much as possible. I am lucky. My studio is just a 20...
Daughter or mother? Caring for ageing parents
Looking after ageing parents is part of the midlife landscape. We walk a fine line between...
Single women – 5 life skills they can teach us
A lot of my friends are 30 plus single women. This post is about the things they’re getting right...
Borrowing my neighbour’s garden – my first allotment
Back in January I met a gorgeous gal through my local gardening club who offered...