Elizabeth Coffey once had seven brothers and sisters, but today only she and one brother remain. Thanks to ‘an insane series of cruel blows’ variously involving illness, accidents, mental health mismanagement and suicide, not one of her other siblings made it past their sixties. And yet through it all, the love, life and laughter have shone bright; sometimes, it has seemed, even from beyond the grave. This is Elizabeth’s funny, shocking, tragic, heart-rending story. She says: “It struck me, at an early age, being the ‘little one’ of the family, that there was a high probability my dearly loved brothers and sisters were going to die before me. I didn’t expect it to happen quite so soon, and quite so tragically.”

When I was contacted and asked if I would like to read “And The Little One Said” I was a bit hesitant – i am not good with sad stories.  However after reading the rave reviews that are attached to this story I knew that I simply had to read it. I was prepared to feel a  sad throughout this book but boy was I wrong.

And The Little One Said is a incredible emotional rollercoaster, I cried, yes but I also laughed and I was moved by the honesty and love alongside the heartache and tragedy.

I found myself asking how much could one family bear? Quite frankly, if it was fiction it would surely be implausible. The fact is, And The Little One Said is true and is believable, such is Elizabeth’s writing. And   such a clever title – which is indeed a reflection of Elizabeth’s life.

Elizabeth is a incredible writer, I was hooked from the word go and I became so absorbed in her life that I struggled to put the book down.

I cannot praise Elizabeth Coffey, And The Little One Said, enough. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and trust me, have tissues at the ready.

And the Little One Said by Elizabeth Coffey is available here

Zorro at the time of rescue – image courtesy of RSPCA

While the market for proven ridden and competition horses is booming, thousands of horses find themselves in an invisible lower layer of neglect, only becoming visible when they are abandoned or are found in squalid living conditions.

Having always had horses of my own, when the time came to find a new riding horse I contacted the RSPCA. By offering a home to a rescue horse I would be helping two horses – the one that I re-homed, and the next horse that would be able to fill the vacated space in the rescue centre. I was offered the opportunity to view a 16.1hh, 8 year old, French Standardbred gelding called Zorro. He was an ex-harness racer and had been ridden for about a month during his time with the RSPCA. Although he had only just started his ridden career, he was a well-mannered ride and seemed keen to please. As soon as I sat on him, I knew I’d found my horse!

Research into Zorro’s background revealed that he had won a 10,000 Euro trotting race in Paris as a 3 year old and continued as a regular winner in Ireland until 2016. He was sold out of the harness racing industry and found himself in a bad home, where, along with another retired trotter, he was neglected and became severely emaciated. His fur was infested with lice, he was full of intestinal worms, and he had an untreated sheath injury. Fortunately, the RSPCA found both the horses in time and, following a prosecution, they were successfully rehabilitated.

Zorro back on form, ridden by Hilary

Zorro is a wonderful gentleman; he’s highly intelligent and learns quickly, and is a pleasure to have as part of my family.

I chose the RSPCA over other charities because I wanted to own the horse myself, rather than have one on loan. In contrast to other charities, following a successful six-month probation period, the horse is signed over into your ownership and it is hoped that the horse will remain with you permanently. If the horse isn’t suitable, you are able to return it during the first six months – a big advantage over buying a horse where there is usually little or no trial period. The donation fee is much less than a normal purchase price and is a small contribution towards the huge cost of vet bills, specialist care, and, in some instances, legal action against cruelty or neglect.

Zorro and Hilary having a lesson with Sam Brown

For those who prefer the safety net of being able to return a horse to a charity if their situation changes, many equine charities retain ownership and you can return the horse at any time.

It’s difficult to believe that a kind, loving, gentle and talented horse like Zorro could end up as a rescue case. He’s admired and loved by everyone and is a great ambassador for rescue horses and for the ridden potential of ex-harness racers; a type that tends to be overlooked as a riding horse. I hope that Zorro may inspire riders to consider giving a home to a rescue horse, and perhaps to choose a type that is often ignored but that has a great deal to offer.

If you enjoy the company of horses but don’t want to ride, charities are bursting at the seams with horses that cannot be ridden, perhaps due to a previous injury. Non-ridden horses may often be suitable for activities such as horse agility, a growing sport that you can do for fun or competitively.

I was incredibly lucky to find my dream horse in a rescue centre. Yours may be waiting for you.

Zorro, everyone’s dream horse.  It could all have been so different. Thank heavens he was saved.

For more information: WWW.RSPCA.ORG.UK

I am anticipating two types of reaction to this review. Either there will be tutting and raised eyebrows, or a snigger, before reading on.

So, now that I have reduced, or elevated, my readership by approximately 50% , please let me introduce you to a new and exciting gin.

Fok Hing Gin is a new premium craft gin that is worth looking out for, but before I get down to the Gin, allow me deal with the elephant in the room.

The gin is actually named after a street in Hong Kong and was inspired by a late night meeting between  two pals. Since finding the liquid sustenance they craved, the team has taken time to source the very finest ingredients from Hong Kong markets  and found a distiller in the East Midlands to create their tasty gin.

The brand, inspired by the UK and Hong Kong’s past-colonial relationship, takes cues from historic landmarks in Hong Kong, including ‘FUK HING LANE’ in Causeway Bay.  FOK HING GIN also just so happens to be an anagram of ‘GIN OF HK’.

So, shame on those of you who thought that it was simply a marketing ploy to gain attention (though it works on both counts), but to dismiss it as inconsequential is to ignore its pedigree. The new direct-to-consumer Hong Kong-British gin brand has been turning heads as a premium quality spirit.

FOK HING GIN has just been awarded a Silver medal at the 4^th London Spirits Competition. No mean feat, but how does it taste?

Fok Hing Gin has a clean fresh taste, enhanced by the Lime. I also tried adding six or so peppercorns, to bring out the Szechuan pepper kick, but you may find it unnecessary.

A subtle floral jasmine green tea scent on the nose, with citrus notes at palate, finishing off with that spicy Szechuan pepper kick.

All 10 natural botanicals are sourced from a century-old spice shop in Hong Kong and flown 9,629km to the UK where the gin is distilled and bottled. It has taken 13 formulations to build the perfect recipe and the right balance of flavours to produce this harmonious botanical blend.

As some of you know, I brook no argument about gin, and how it should be served. I prefer a Copa gin glass, but any balloon glass would suffice. Fill the glass with as much ice as is physically possible.

The idea is to chill the gin quickly, before it melts and dilutes the gin. Add the gin to a chilled glass and stir. Top with chilled premium tonic, I drank it with Fever-Tree, Mediterranean Tonic Water and a squeeze of lime, garnished with a wedge of lime. 

Not sure how you would ask for this at the counter (other than very carefully) but fortunately to buy simply visit the Online Shop.

Fok Hing Gin EDITION 852 (70cl,42% ALC BY VOL) £38.00.

M