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...
The Good Life – a blueprint for greener living
I was twelve years old in 1975 when the British sitcom The Good Life hit our screens. Tom and...
Please don’t fly – or at the very least – fly less
I’m not going to fly this year. Compelled to do something positive to help reduce CO2 emissions...
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...
Don’t let bladder weakness curb your big adventure
Being a midlife blogger means I get to write about stuff like bladder weakness. Don’t get me wrong...
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...
10 rants about the lost art of Customer Service
I keep having the same torturous conversations with customer service departments. It can be a lost...
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...
Walk in comfort: a review of Vionic’s comfortable shoe technology
When Vionic asked me if I would like to review a pair of their sandals I didn’t know the...
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...
How to make healthy 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 can I get through January without alcohol?
We are just 12 days into the New Year and I’m seriously beginning to regret my dry January...