Pugs in prams

In a trip down south, Tessa Waugh finds her childhood village becoming increasingly unrecognisable, as “Cottage Core” influencers and “real coffee” infuse the neighbourhood with a trendier vibe

- Tessa Waugh

THE longer we live in the Cheviots, the more the place where I grew up feels like a foreign land. In Game of Thrones terms, it’s a bit like a Mediterranean Westeros compared to life at the Wall.

The children and I are in Wiltshire now, staying with Granny and Grandpa, enjoying the sun on our limbs and the chance to break out our summer clothes. The words of the song, “Summertime and the living is easy,” keep springing to mind as we make our way around the Lilliputian landscape. It is so pretty here. I just wish there weren’t so many people.