It was my mother who first encouraged me to read Thomas Harding’s ‘The House by the Lake’. She left it in our flat, a few months after we’d moved to Berlin. Foolishly, it took me a while to pick up this extraordinary book. But when I finally did, it was hard to put down. 100… Continue Reading
Saying Goodbye to Grandpa George
On the afternoon of Tuesday 5th June, one of the kindest, funniest and most loving people I have ever met, left this world. He was called George Collins, he was 102 and he was my darling grandfather. As I currently live in Berlin, my mother told me that if I wanted to say goodbye, I… Continue Reading
The Ups and Downs of a Year in Berlin
On 29th December 2016, my husband and I, along with our two children, moved to Berlin. It wasn’t the best time of year to start a new life in a foreign city, but needs must. We were leaving behind Copenhagen – a city that we had enjoyed living in for three and a half years.… Continue Reading
Berlin: Embracing German Kindergartens
At 11 o’clock on Monday, 14th August, I arrived at a Kindergarten in central Berlin with my 15-month-old daughter. It wasn’t to be a long visit – in fact it lasted just a few minutes. But this was the start of Cecelia’s ‘settling-in’ period at her new nursery or Kita. It’s an incremental approach that… Continue Reading
France says Merci to my Grandfather
A rather wonderful thing happened last week. My Grandfather, Donald Forrest, received one of the highest French honours for his involvement in the D-Day landings during the Second World War. He was appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the Ordre nationale de la Légion d’honneur, by the French President. Unfortunately it arrived too late… Continue Reading
Berlin: Taking the Baby to Work
Last week I attended a workshop in Berlin aimed at getting women who are on maternity leave back into work. It was held at one of the city’s popular coworking spaces. But this one has a unique selling point – at Easy Busy Space you can bring your baby to work. While parents are working… Continue Reading
Hello 2017 Berlin; Goodbye 2016 Copenhagen
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great New Year’s Eve and are looking forward to what 2017 will bring. For us, everything is new. On 21st December 2016, after three and a half fabulous years of living in wonderful Copenhagen, we left Denmark for good. This was a very hard decision because we all… Continue Reading
Denmark: The Danish family connection that lives on
This week I said goodbye to my grandfather, Donald Forrest. He was my father’s father and was just six months away from marking his centenary. He lived a very full and interesting life which included service in the British Royal Navy during World War II. Grandpop was involved in the D-Day landing, supporting Allied troops on… Continue Reading
Baby Cecelia at 6 months old
Today, my daughter is 6 months old. How did that happen? Where has the time gone? Well it certainly hasn’t been wasted, but apologies that it hasn’t been spent blogging! I have missed this therapy of writing and sharing my thoughts (mostly about life in Copenhagen) with you all. So I thought I’d give you… Continue Reading
Denmark: Why this small country thinks big when it comes to children’s creativity
Denmark ‘gets’ children – and I don’t just mean childcare. Go to any museum or art gallery in this Scandinavian country and it’s geared up for kids. From exhibitions to children’s activities, little people matter here and it’s a joy to watch. This weekend, my husband, son and I visited Statens Museum for Kunst, the National… Continue Reading
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