All is to be revealed in Ibiza Uncovered...

Well, I promised you 'Ibiza Uncovered'... and by crikey did we uncover it! From the moment we landed in 28 degree heat at 3am, I knew I was going to like this island. Three hours later however, having spent two hours trying to check in, I was just desperate for my bed! 

There must have been a faster way of doing it, but at least the receptionist's photocopier broke down so we didn't have to wait for him to photocopy all 15 passports! Yes, we were 15 in number as Rosie and Laura joined Rae and Dan and made us an even more formidable force on the beach and in the bars! 

The teenage holiday I never had!

I have to tell you it was a hoot! It was the teenage holiday I never had, even though I was the oldest in our party they treated me as an equal, and we all got on so well. Days were spent laying in the sun on the beach - we comandeered the south quarter and set our sunbeds in a circle so no interlopers could join our party :) 

Some great news and embarrassing moments

Miracles can happen...

What a glorious day to share some fabulous news with you, more than two years on from Sam's dreadful road accident, where he was so badly hurt. My boy was able to get up on water skis! Not the easiest thing to manage with a prosthetic leg, but after weeks of trying, he did it!

Before the accident, he could wake board, ski and mono ski, and I know he was doubtful he'd ever do these things again... I can't begin to tell you how proud I was, or how pleased he was, but I think the photo (left) says it all...

Off the back of this he's decided to make a tandem sky dive on the 5th September, so there'll be me all grey and shaking on the ground, and him floating above me with a smile no doubt as wide as his parachute! I guess there's an element of devil may care when you've survived what he has... so I will be brave and applaud him :)

Ibiza here we come!

I plan to sit in the sun and share a beer with him over this next week as we've decided to take a last minute break to Ibiza. We're going with Sam's best mate James, my Jack, Colin and his entire brood of children and various others... 13 of us will board a plane this weekend for the sunshine island that I haven't visited since I was 18! 

My search for a new car...

Driving back from the rounders match came another disaster - a fox ran out in front of the car and in swerving to avoid it, I caught the concrete island in the middle of the road and the car launched itself up and over the edge. I know nothing of the workings under the bonnet and even less about the highly sophisticated stuff under the chassis, but after a week of assessment, I've been told it's a write off - or is that right off?!

I'm now faced with the task of finding a new car within four days before they take the courtesy car away, and I can't see how the insurance company will get the money to me in that short space of time. Any idea how long it would take me to cycle from Bedfordshire to QVC in Battersea? I'd have calf muscles the size of a canoe :)

Must fly, the boys have been online and are looking for cars for me. So far they've come up with a BMW M3 Alpina, an Aston Martin, and a Porsche... my suggestion of an Astra didn't appeal to them.

Love Ali xx

I'm back from the bright blue seas of Zante!

I've discovered something about myself over the last couple of weeks (something I've always suspected, but never had confirmed) and that is my innate skill at choosing to holiday in places with sunny climes, when the weather here in England is hotter! 

At least I don’t feel so guilty for having had such a lovely time away as I know you’ve all had the best of British sunshine here, while I‘ve been swimming in water the colour of paraiba tourmaline, and eating my entire bodyweight in feta cheese and moussaka.

What can I say, other than I highly recommend a trip to Zante - a jewel in the crown of Greek islands that inhabit the Ionian Sea. It’s not that big but has an incredible collection of tiny coves and bays, with crystal clear waters and some sandy, some stony beaches. It’s fairly still in the morning, but as the temperatures climb, soft breezes start to blow and take the edge off the hot sunny days. 

My weekend trip to Scotland with Suzi B

Hoots Mon! And other such Scottish phrases which I have yet to hear a true Scots person utter. But I thought I would drop you a line to let you share in my fab weekend. 

I'm sure you're all familiar with Suzi B from California Style (see photo left). Well, we have become quite firm friends over the years, and as her husband Adam's family originally hail from the Highlands, they chose Perth to celebrate his 40th birthday! 

Colin and I flew to Edinburgh on Saturday morning and then caught the bus to the city centre. It took about three hours in total - which I thought was amazing considering it can take me that long some mornings to travel the 45 miles to QVC Towers. However, 50 minutes in a plane and it's like another world! WOW! I've never been to Edinburgh before but I loved it. 

Two trips away and so many questions - please help!

I seem to have travelled the length and breadth of the country over the last week, and found out many weird and wonderful things about this fair isle, some that I need your help with.

Let's start with my trip to Dorset. Such a beautiful part of the country and thanks to the M3 not that difficult to reach. But why when you're only a couple of hours from London are the phone boxes yellow and the police cars navy blue?? Should there not be countrywide uniformity? It's like the chip and pin machines - why can't they make one size that fits all cards... the same way!! 

Moaning aside, I have to say our day in Shaftesbury was fabulous! You may recognise the street in the photo (above) as it was the same one used for the Hovis advert. I'm telling you the chap with the bike would have needed to have got that right the first time, 'cos too many takes and it would have taken more than a loaf of bread to resuscitate him!