C'mon Aylesbury Vale sort out the roads!

The state of the roads in the villages around Mentmore is a disgrace - potholes everywhere. That, combined with the madness of people driving at 70 miles an hour round tight corners on country lanes has seen loads of nasty accidents. The road from Ledburn through Mentmore to Cheddington is SO dangerous, especially when there is fog and dry ice. There is no speed limit and people drive like maniacs. PLEASE sort it out.

Recommending a tradesman time

Congratulations to Chapel Flooring, a family run business near Leighton Buzzard. They have a great choice of tile flooring (and carpets) and they installed tiles in our bathroom and ensuite (doncha just hate carpets in bathrooms, yuk) beautifully - hurrah for craftsmanship and professionalism at a very reasonable price. We are so pleased. Well done.

rethink cabbage!

Him indoors has grown about 30 cabbages, so am having to be inventive. But eating food you have only just pulled from the ground is amazing, especially with some freshly cut chives.

Soften onion and mushrooms and garlic for about 10 minutes, enough for your quantities. Add pint of vegetable stock, bring to the boil add shredded cabbage and simmer gently for 5 mins. Pepper and add drops of tabasco and chopped chives.

Feel very healthy.

J'adore Dior

Congratulations to the lovely assistant at the Dior concession in Selfridges. I bought a gaucho bag last October (no kids see), and the strap broke a couple of weeks ago. I got nowhere on the phone when I rang the concession, the bloke said as I hadn't retained my receipt I'd have to contact Dior itself. Did that, I was told to post my bag or take it in to customer services in Knightsbridge. What a pain, I live in Bucks. Still, with some time to spare after a meeting I aimed to take it in. Time ran out, so I popped into Selfridges anyway. Of course, there is a card in the bag which has the date and the place the bag is bought - so there was my proof. The girl was fabulous and very apologetic (I bought a bag at Louis Vuitton once and they forgot to take off the electronic tags and treated me like a criminal when the alarm went off, disgusting) and said that there had a been a problem with a batch. I was expecting a lengthy process (I'd had to send a Gucci bag back for repair, which they couldn't so eventually they gave me a credit note) but the assistant was lovely, said immediately she would simply replace the bag and apologised profusely and assured me the problem wouldn't arise with the new bag. Well done her! Am a very pleased customer.

Floatation tanks

Any new experience is rather strange until you get used to it, and floatation is no different, but I loved it and will definitely do it any time I am stressed and need to chill out.

I arrived frazzled at Float, the relaxed friendly staff grinning at their knowledge of how I’d turn out after an hour’s float. I showered and undressed. You are advised to put Vaseline on any cuts, and not shave that day (salt, ouch). I put earplugs in and climbed into an alien egg pod-like thing. I pressed the door button and the pod closed on me slowly, which I can imagine might panic claustrophobes.

I turned off the light, and rainforest sounds began to soothe. I lay back, star shaped, and began to float. Now what? The music, of which you have a choice of classical, beachy, rainy sounds, fades out after 10 minutes.

My thoughts flitted from how the salt was attacking the cuts on my ankles where new shoes had rubbed (I didn’t bother with the Vaseline, good for healing) to how I had an itch on my little toe. My stomach was making bubbly sounds having just drunk a glass of water quickly (you must drink water before and after or you get dehydrated). Water was tickling my right ear having got through the plugs. Ooh I wonder whether a client of mine has posted his blog. Are Birmingham City at home or away on Saturday? What shall I cook for dinner? Remember when I went skinny dipping in Lindos? Did I set Sky+ for Boston Legal?

Then I woke up. I’ve a slight cold and allergies/hayfever so am prone to a blocked nose, and although the pod isn’t anywhere near steam room heat, it is warm, and I needed to breathe through my mouth. I wasn’t panicking, but I was not exactly relaxed. I guessed I hadn’t that much longer to float, but I had had enough. I’d got a slight bit of salt in one eye somehow, and I had a big itch in one ear. I could only breathe through my mouth now. But I was fine. I didn’t really think about anything.

About five minutes later the rainforest sounds started and it was time to get out. I was a bit unsteady on my feet and a bit spacy. I showered using their natural products which were manuka honey based and lovely. I got dressed, drank some water and went to dry my hair. I felt totally blissed out. I want downstairs and the staff said wow you look very mellow. I’m sure they must find it lovely the transformation of stressed to spaced people. I had a cup of jasmine tea. You are encourage to stay and chill on beanbags and eat granny smiths apples but I had a train to catch. But even the battle getting across London from Notting Hill to Euston and a train out to Buckinghamshire and having to stand up all the way didn’t get to me. I put on iPod and listened to a bit of Jennifer Lopez, completely mellow and quite sleepy. I felt just wonderful. If I was a good girl I would have gone home to an early night but my boyfriend and I stopped off to have a glass of wine which finished me off.

Next morning, and the effects are still working. I’ve had niggling stress in the back of my neck for a couple of weeks which has completely gone. I’m floating about, totally chilled.

Any time I’m stressed, I’ll be heading for a float. Knowing what’s in store I imagine will make it even more relaxing, and next time I might add on a massage or a facial to make it even more amazing. I’d go back to Float anytime, but living in the sticks I need to find somewhere nearer, so I don’t have to cope with the rush hour commute. Float on.