I found an old photo, taken in one of the first years we were at Barn Owl Farm, of the field next door covered with poppies. It was a magnificent sight, many people stopped to gaze in wonder and take photos. This lead me to thinking about poppy day and the importance of “lest we forget”. My mother spent the war years, as a child, in the Eric Gill Community in Ditchling, Sussex. Her mother’s sister was married to George Maxwell...

I’m in Deepest Darkest Norfolk, up to my hocks in it. “Come on, Liza”, a dis-embodied voice encourages me. A wet bran’mch slashes back into my face, momentarily blinding me. Water trickles down my back. My gumboots slosh as I try to keep up with my guide and tormentor, Nigel Middleton, the Warden of the new Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve. One of the facets of being an actress is that one is constantly being asked to be a...

This week I am in my idea of heaven on earth, a health farm. One of the perks of touring in a play is, if there is one near the theatre, I stay at a health farm. Imagine a five star hotel, with all meals included and being treated gently as though you were convalescent. I suppose one is convalescent really, from life. Wrapped in big fluffy bathrobes, massaged, oiled, pampered and told to ‘lie down and take it easy’, absolute bliss!...

Hello, I’m Liza Goddard; Granny, Actress, presenter and now columnist! I live at Owl Farm in Norfolk with David, my husband, Sophie, my daughter, and Adelaide my granddaughter, the Darling. Thom, my son is married to La Belle Helen and they live in London. My mother Clare lives near by. We never need an alarm clock, Albert, the Wellsummer cockerel, greets the dawn joyously every day. A barn owl returns from a night’s hunting as I...

Me, write a piece for the Eastern Daily Press , how thrilling! Now chewing the end of the pencil, what to write? My brain’s a blank; nothing. Does anything happen in my life? No! Phone my mother, “Try to be amusing dear, stop it Max!” this last to her little dog who is eating her sofa. While I’m thinking, I’ll just go and let the chickens out, Albert, Victoria, Elizabeth and Anne. They look so beautiful in the...