Diary of a British Bellist: March Edition
by Carrie Barclay

I write this from the vantage point of the table situated in my bay window, looking out at the world passing slowly by, hampered by sheets of icy rain and howling winds. Bring on Spring, and hopefully the sunshine will remember us Brits sometime soon! To be honest, the weather is slowly improving, today being more the exception than the rule. As the days get longer and milder, it’s rapidly approaching wardrobe-switching time. Out with the deliciously thick and comforting wool, in with thin layers. This Spring, it’s all about light denim and pastel florals. By equipping your Spring/Summer wardrobe with cute white racer-back vests, stonewash denim shorts and thin jersey floral cardigans, denim Harem pants, wedge sandals and cropped white tees, you can hit the trend dead-on with separates that offer a plethora of combinations. Sandals are a must as the weather improves, but as a cyclist (check out my gorgeous new bike!) you have to watch the danger of them falling off! Combat this with a pair of gladiators, or this season’s fave ― the sandal with cute leather cuffs, you can save your feet and stay stylish.

So as you ladies already know, I am a freelance writer, but I also work in events. As well as the Science Festival (all over for another year ― phew!) I’ve taken on some work with the Sellindge Music Festival. This is a reasonably new festival to the UK circuit, but it is kicking butt with a fantastic line-up, some great arenas and offers a truly chilled-out start to the summer. All this work is keeping me very busy, and means it’s harder than ever to fit in a social life, let alone a love life! So, we come back to that thorny topic of love vs. life. My girlfriends and I were recently talking about age, and its importance (or not) in a relationship. We’ve all had different experiences of age-related issues, and all have different taste in men. LB likes to date around her own age, JC likes the guy to be perhaps a couple of years older, NS doesn’t really have a type, and I definitely prefer the older man. But age can often be an issue.

So, for the next month, I have managed to persuade some of my ladies to keep a dating diary, and we’ll see what the results yield. Will the boys win out over the men? I’ll keep you posted!

British Bellist, Carrie Barclay, cyclist, dating, Sellindge Music Festival, Spring/Summer wardrobe, uk