The Caribbean lifestyle is something I aspire to – Lesley Keating

Despite an early start and a nine-hour flight, we felt all the worries of work just melt away as we were greeted with hot towels and a cold drink in the lobby of our hotel on the island’s South East coast.

It’s amazing how quickly you stop being frazzled and start immersing yourself in Caribbean life.

Everyday just blended into another, with the morning sunrise our only alarm, no TV to paralyse conversation and the soothing swoosh of waves the perfect antidote to worries.

We literally lost track of what day or time it was in a world where things like Brexit didn’t seem to exist.

But there’s only just so much flopping on a sun lounger you can do so we got out to experience St Lucia too.

We visited a live volcano, experienced the ultimate power shower – the stunning Diamond Falls – and wallowed in a sulphur-mud bath which made us look like crazily painted ancient-Britons but left our skin like silk (even though it did discolour silver jewellery).

We also went to one of the world’s highest lighthouses above sea-level where the views were simply spectacular.

Every day we saw humming birds, local men riding bareback through the surf on beautiful bay horses and boys fishing on the reef.

And we made friends with an elderly craftsman, Thomas, who made us laugh when he said he was opening up his ‘office’ each morning as he set up shop on the beach.

I also took Yoga classes with the lovely Vernon who made it a calming experience while encouraging us all to achieve.

His end-of-class meditation on the waterside decking with nothing but the sound of waves was incredibly grounding.

But what struck me the most was all the beautiful, happy, smiling local people who were living perfect, uncomplicated lives if they but knew it.

We’re both going to try really hard to integrate that Caribbean appreciation of life with us now we’re back home.

Umbrella holders are home to a number of weird gifts

After Mike thinking he’d lost all our sun stuff in the beach towels depository on the first week of our holiday, the following week saw him accidentally drop his vaping pipe down a hole in the wooden structure holding our beach umbrella.

He tried to hook it out with a coat hanger, much to the amusement of nearby sunbathers and security. After drawing quite a crowd, he finally gave up and called maintenance. Three screwdrivers later – no luck, so we went to lunch.

We returned to find a smiling security guard brandishing Mike’s vape pipe. And two bottles of sun lotion, a lipstick and a toy car presumably dropped down by previous holidaymakers…

Surely Amanda Holden is capable to dress herself?

Amanda Holden’s had a hissy fit about the bad PR she’s received following a recent appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. Apparently, Amanda was widely described as ‘looking like a stripper’ in a barelythere, navel-plunging dress that virtually paralysed Ofcom due to the volume of complaints.

Although I’m not her biggest fan, I just can’t see why anyone would bother to formally complain about anything she was – or wasn’t – wearing.

But I’m even more incredulous that Amanda has thrown her toys out of the pram and now sacked her stylist for the ‘serious error’.

Surely, Amanda was perfectly capable of standing in front of a full-length mirror?