Reflections on Ukraine

Travelling to Ukraine was one of my most enjoyable and fascinating experiences in recent years. I first went there in 1999 and, for the next decade, returned several times a year. I saw many changes in the country — some for the better and some for the worse. Ukraine was a young country, developing and growing, just a few years after gaining independence from Russia. Like all teenagers, it was having a few problems — fighting against authority, wanting to be taken seriously by the adults and throwing the occasional temper tantrum. But through it all, it seemed to be moving towards maturity.

Politicians: What's The Point?

Some people blame the global economy; others blame the government; some suggest our regional and local politicians are to blame. Whatever your view, it is a fact that some of the services to our communities, vital in particular to the most vulnerable members of society, are under threat.

Elizabeth chats with...C. Hope Clark

This month's guest is an American author and writers' friend. Her weekly and fortnightly newsletters provide thousands of us with writing tips, leads to competitions and grants and a no-nonsense approach to writing for a living. She also writes great thrillers. I'm delighted to be chatting with C Hope Clark.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

At the start of this book, we see Harold Fry sitting at the breakfast table “freshly shaved, in a clean shirt and tie”.