Things are better. I have a friend who is lovely and knows all the best bars, beauticians and shops. I have been to M&S (not bad, bit pricey) and in the same mall there is a play-area where you can leave your children in a sort of child’s heaven all da …

So we’re here. The flight was good, despite Olivia’s fury that we were not “in the best bit” of the aircraft. Having prepared myself for seven hours in the air with my children by drinking a glass of Barolo at the Rhubarb Cafe in Terminal 3 I fell asle …

It is tough being back. No calming lake, no one bringing me food every meal, no massages, no doctor monitoring my progress. But I am trying my best to keep up the good work I began. The enemy lurks around every corner in the form of alcohol, chocolate …

I am in Austria at the Viva Mayr clinic and online again after several days. I am here for my new book deal; I am writing a diet book based on the Viva Mayr philosophy, which is all about chewing a lot and not eating too late. Well, there is more to it …

Rupert was lying in the sun having just enjoyed a swim when I broke the news to him. “Three weeks today you’ll be in an office,” I told him. “It’s Sunday,” said Olivia. “They work in a Sunday in Abu Dhabi,” I replied. Rupert seemed calm, in fact he did …

Although I lived here as a child and teenager, there is much I had forgotten. Here are some of the more remarkable things about this country. In the summer it gets light at 2 in the morning In the winter it gets dark at 2 in the afternoon Most people i …

We have embarked on the next leg of our European tour. As I write I am looking out over silver birches, pretty red wooden houses and the sea in the distance. We are in Sweden in our rented house in the Stockholm archipelago. As we were settling in here …

The life of a goldfish is not an interesting one, even if you happen to be Olivia’s goldfish and more perky than most. But Sushi Sam, as he is called, has now discovered a whole new world. Deciding what to do with the animals was one of the most diffic …

I had no idea where Abu Dhabi was until Rupert told me he had been offered a job there. He likes to get a proper job once every ten years or so, so he’s off to work on the business desk of a new newspaper called The National (www.thenational.ae). “I’ll …