The vast majority of tasks that we fulfil successfully every day, we do with no conscious thought. Climbing out of bed, making coffee, driving to work, getting dressed (yes – sometimes in that order): all of them accomplished without any real consciousness.

My Borders borders barely bear any colour before May and will be botanically boring by September…

Is there anything quite so satisfying as French onion soup?

When cooked slowly it’s like a three course meal, the hors d’oeuvre being the delicious aroma that emanates from the saucepan while you caramelise the onions and then reduce the beef stock over an hour or so on a simmering heat…

Under normal circumstances the announcement that 5,000 racegoers were expected to attend the Saturday of the Glorious Goodwood Festival would represent a complete disaster.

But these aren’t normal circumstances…

On Monday this week I thought I might take a quick trip overseas. Although I didn’t so much travel over the water, as part the waves…

If Amhran Na Bhfiann wins at Epsom on Saturday the Aidan O’Brien trained colt will become the oldest Derby winner since Running Rein in 1844… 

Kelso Racecourse has been pivotal to the Borders community since 1822 when the foundation stone was laid for a new grandstand at Berrymoss.

The racecourse has survived two World Wars, forty one different Prime Ministers (twelve of them serving at least two terms) and several deadly pandemics…

School’s out for Summer!

Scottish pupils may not be expected to return to the classroom until 11th August, but somehow I managed to end up back at school this week.

Alice was beginning to get very tired sitting on the bank and having nothing to do but listen to an angry Garry Richardson harangue the representative from Ascot Racecourse on Radio 4’s Today Programme. “What is the actual point in running Royal Ascot behind closed doors? What is the point?”

So in my dream I discovered that I had died and was standing in the queue for the afterlife, where souls were being divided into two groups…