GOOD HAIR WEEK

On Monday, thanks to the willingness of ace crimper, Chris of Larkfield, to come in on her day off to `see to me,` my hair crisis has now been replaced by a sharp, fetching style that was created in time for me to attend an excellent Christmas lunch yesterday. (More on that story later.)

This morning, it was Mrs. Snopper`s turn - well, as you can see from the photo she was due for a good seeing to, so I drove her to the local Tesco`s, where we parked. I parked there in the knowledge that once Mrs. Snopper had been `seen to,` she would then go into Tesco`s and spend another small fortune on stuff.

So, off she went to The Cutting Den, where her stylist, Dana ("all kinds of everything" a speciality) was sharpening her scissors in readiness and I went off to the nearby Leybourne Lakes Country Park to give Henry (our Golden Retriever) his early morning constitutional. And what a pleasure it always is to pay a visit to this quite splendid area.

(Leybourne Lakes Country Park)

Now, people who know me will also know that I seldom go in for praise when local authorities are concerned, but I have to confess that Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council have done a terrific job in the creation, layout, management and maintenance of this fairly new country park. Originally the area was worked out sand and gravel pits, but an innovative housing development was granted planning permission for some of the area, with the remaining being given over to the local council as a public country park facility.

(Leybourne Lakes Housing - the location for Channel 4`s `Cape Wrath)

Henry loves the long walk around the lakes, which also does me good and by the time we have finished, Mrs. Snopper has been restyled - to such an extent that she is now quite unrecognisable from the photo above, but charity prevents me from illustrating the outcome - she has finished her Tesco-squander and we can rendezvous back at the car and drive off with a clear conscience. An excellent start to a day in a hair-dominated week.