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Frances A Burscough

Frances A. Burscough, Belfast Telegraph

Sleaze and lies: Claudia Lawrence, trial by the media

With hysterical headlines such as ‘Claudia’s Forty Different Lovers’ you’d be forgiven for wondering what manner of monster this evil Claudia is.
Comments: 11

Inside Frances A Burscough

Why do female pupils always get the blame?

Thursday, 18 June 2009

A story appeared in the news this week which spun me back in time like a Tardis and reminded me of an incident so unpleasant that I had locked it away for 30 years.
Comments: 2

Why Megan will be a Jolie big star too

Thursday, 11 June 2009

For a decade Angelina Jolie has been universally accepted as one of the most beautiful women in cinema. And in an industry where looks mean everything, with great beauty comes great power.
Comments: 3

Here’s Davina, back for this year’s BB, please do not swear

Thursday, 4 June 2009

There is one sound that heralds a 21st century summer-time more than any other. And no, it’s not the hypnotic sound of buzzing in a bee-loud glade, nor the gentle clack of croquet on a lawn, nor the distant sound of a transient cuckoo — “Shall I call thee ‘Bird’, or but a wandering voice?”
Comments: 2

What woman isn’t afraid of drunken, violent girl gangs?

Thursday, 28 May 2009

The pictures which appeared in the Press earlier this week showing Danielle Lloyd lying in a London street in a pool of her own blood after a vicious attack by a gang of girls were shocking to say the least.
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Why I can’t even count sheep for good night’s rest

Thursday, 21 May 2009

My 16-year-old son Luke began his GCSEs this week. And the first one was the most vile and vilified of all. Maths.
Comments: 5

How a Man City penalty killed my pet rabbit Twitchy

Thursday, 14 May 2009

Manchester City FC has a lot to answer for. Both my sons are life-long supporters of the club, so as you can imagine, I have to spend a lot of time consoling them.
Comments: 5

Why this is such a quare place to live

Thursday, 7 May 2009

On the Belfast Telegraph website there’s a hilarious feature entitled ‘You Know You’re From Belfast When...’ which highlights some of our quintessential quirks and comic colloquialisms. I say ‘our’ because I’ve been on this side of the water almost long enough to start feeling like an honorary Laganside-lifer.
Comments: 7

Why there’s no debate over our brilliant schools

Thursday, 30 April 2009

Whenever I meet people here for the first time and they hear my distinct Lancashire accent, I can almost guarantee the forthcoming conversational sequence, verbatim. Most often this takes place in taxis and there are two versions. The abridged version — on short local journeys, say to the train station or home from the pub, goes as follows: “So, are you on your holidays?”
Comment: 1

How Bo will drive Obama barking mad

Thursday, 16 April 2009

Congratulations to the Obama family on the arrival of their new puppy, Bo the Water Spaniel! In recognition of this momentous event, my own dog Bailey, who is a leading ‘Man Whisperer’, offers the following advice on integration into a human family home:
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Why I don’t have a prayer when it comes to my children

Thursday, 9 April 2009

It’s a cliché but a true fact: when you have children you relive your own childhood. Events that have been locked away in your memory for years come flooding back to either haunt or amuse you. Fortunately most of mine are amusing. Occasionally some are even hilarious.
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Why I just can’t forgive the sins of the fathers

Thursday, 26 March 2009

A story caught my eye in the national newspapers this week. And in doing so it shocked me to the core.
Comments: 3

Jade’s helped me to truly appreciate Mother’s Day

Monday, 23 March 2009

If there’s one thing more poignant than Valentine’s Day without a partner, it’s Mother’s Day without a mother.
Comments: 2

Frances A. Burscough, Belfast Telegraph

The Osmonds? Give me Wacko Jacko any day

Thursday, 19 March 2009

Michael Jackson has moon-walked all over the headlines since the dates of his 2009 farewell tour were announced. After months of hysterical will-he/won’t-he hype, tickets finally went on sale last week and fans were so keen to snap them up that the official website couldn’t cope with the traffic and crashed in the melee.
Comments: 2

How a stroke of bad luck makes you so superstitious

Thursday, 12 March 2009

If you’re remotely superstitious, then this weekend you will certainly have your work cut out.
Comments: 6

Why full-time mums have a job getting back to work

Thursday, 5 March 2009

Michelle Obama opened a whole can of worms when she chose to put her own impressive career as a lawyer on hold during her husband’s presidential campaign.
Comments: 5

Frances Burscough: Mid-life crisis? I’m having far too much fun for all of that

Thursday, 26 February 2009

I’m expecting my mid-life crisis any day now. I’m 45, so I’m at the optimum age; my kids are growing up and needing me less and less; I’ve just got divorced and I’ve recently lost a parent. Any one of these factors alone could have triggered it, but with them all happening simultaneously I’m a ticking time bomb.
Comment: 1

How a family feud spelled a sorry end for my Barbie

Thursday, 19 February 2009

When most of us reach middle-age we decide to slow down a bit, act our age and start to take stock.
Comment: 1

Why kids feel a Call of Duty to their XBox, not Ker-Plunk

Thursday, 29 January 2009

A miserable rainy Saturday |afternoon in January: I’m in the kitchen sorting a mountain of washing into whites, darks and brights — oh joy of joys — when I hear a distress call coming from my living room.
Comments: 13

Over 40 and fab, Michelle is role model for women

Thursday, 22 January 2009

Anyone who thinks that women over 45 are past it should take a look at this week’s news.
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I dreamt of being a top skier, but ended up so piste off

Thursday, 15 January 2009

Skiing: one of those things, like playing the piano, which I had always imagined I would be naturally and instinctively good at, despite having never trained or even tried.
Comments: 3

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