The world from my window

Hop on over to A Dorset Year for the latest news in Lush Places: recycling, Storm Frank and the pothole repair man. The excitement is just too much. That's about it. Love Maddie x

After a period of blogging, not blogging and blogging again, I'm back, but in a slightly different form. A new year is about to begin and it's time for a new project. I will continue to use this as my website and personal blog. So if I'm in Budapest, as I'm going to be later this month, you can read all about it here. And if I have a book to launch, which I will do in the spring, I'll let you know about it on these pages. And I still have the joy of writing my weekly Maddie's World column for The People's Friend Magazine , who found me through this blog. But for a while now, I've missed writing consistently about the ebb and flow of nature and country life in my neck of the woods. So I'm going to try a little experiment.  It's called A Dorset Year and I hope you're going to like it. That's about it. Love Maddie x

Every now and then, this village, this lush, lush village, jumps up and tugs on your sleeve. 'Hey,' it says. 'Remember me? I am the place where magical things happen. I am the place where the ley lines cross, where people gather and share their joys and sadness. I am the place where villagers come together to have fun.' I've been a bit preoccupied lately, and otherwise engaged, for one reason or another. My brain has been burbling; there's been too much going on. And then a light shines and a bell rings. We've had the vicar leading carols around the village Christmas tree, after Dave Goulden from our local radio station, Wessex FM , did the honours and switched them on, and wonderful generosity from our new publicans, who handed out selection boxes to the children and burgers and hot dogs to anyone who wanted one. Apologies for the photo quality but you get the picture.   We are blessed. Our church is looking particularly vibrant and full of

Oh Prague, how beautiful you are. Bohemian, divine, sad and surreal, sublime.       Architectural detail wherever you look. Along with true t ales of heroism in an ancient land which recent history has treated so badly. And there was I, worried about running into stag and hen parties. Plenty of people, it's true.  But the place is so lovely, so interesting. I saw through the crowds to hear the music of Dvorak and Smetana in the air. I absorbed the art of Mucha and architectural detail wherever I looked. And the light, oh the light... Well, Prague, you ticked all my boxes, you really did. Easy to get to, wonderful to get around and so much to see and do. Although I can't say I liked your food much. Potato dumplings, ham, sausages and enormous smoked ribs are not my style. But I loved your beer and your wine. And with the aid of our Lonely Planet guide, we found some wonderful places to eat. My taste for the bizarre was tickl