WHEN I first met Polly, I was a nine-year-old lad, who had been living in Nigeria for just over a year, yearning to have a parrot like other army families had. It was early December 1955, on a hot, du

I’d just dropped Sarah off at a small railway station in Scotland and, after several weeks travelling together, I was on my own again. She was heading home to Cornwall, leaving me free to devote time

WE’RE about to embark on the holiday of a lifetime, heading for Heathrow Airport after leaving Ruby and Edgar in the safe hands of house-sitter, Sue. She hadn’t met the dogs before this morning, but t

IT’S perfect,” I said. “Just think of all the time I’ll save on commuting. I’ll even be able to come home for lunch if I want to.” Mum didn’t look convinced. Of course, she was pleased that I’d found

A s we edge closer to spring, I find myself daydreaming about morning walks that no longer require five carefully chosen layers just to stay warm. That said, I’m far less confident that a change in se

This adored hunter is “the safest horse on the planet”, but has plenty of spice and character too