The Cornish Hideaway

Novel by Jennifer Bibby:

The Cornish Hideaway: A beautiful village. An artist who’s lost her spark. And a community who help her find it again.

All Freya has ever wanted to do is paint. So when she fails her Master’s Degree in Art, on the same day that her boyfriend decides he needs a ‘more serious’ partner, to Freya it feels like the end of the world.

Luckily, she has a saviour in the shape of best friend Lola, who invites her to the sleepy Cornish village of Polcarrow, to work in her café. With nothing keeping her in London, Freya jumps at the chance of a summer by the sea.

Freya needs time to focus on herself. But then dark and mysterious biker Angelo blows into town on a stormy afternoon, with his own artistic dreams and a secretive past, and Freya’s plans of a romance-free summer fly straight out of the window…

Heart-warming, heartfelt and romantic, The Cornish Hideaway is a novel of community, friendship and learning to love again, for fans of Jenny Colgan, Cathy Bramley and Heidi Swain.

Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cornish-Hideaway-beautiful-village-community-ebook/dp/B098BNKQ7G/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+cornish+hideaway&qid=1625146536&sr=8-1

IELTS Life Skills Exam Guide – Level B1

Useful video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ErfZVIM3c

“In this lesson, you can learn about the IELTS B1 Life Skills exam. You’ll see what you need to do during the IELTS Life Skills exam, and how you can make sure you pass. […]

My own comment:

First thanks to this very instructive video that really prepared me on what to expect. I had the test today (so don’t know the result yet). Clearly my partner did not watch your video, so the question tennis became a bit one-sided; but we both did our best. Topics discussed were something like “favourite subject in school and why you like it”, and “an important event in your life” (plus something else); planning was to organize a presentation of a celebrity (actor, sports person or scientist) to students of English language. Open discussion was about a celebrity that is your role model (hint: just choose a famous person you know something about; nobody is going to check if they are really your role model). Somehow the discussion also wandered into a question by the examiner if one is happier with more money (no idea how that came about).  Recordings were about an actor who did something for charity and an athlete (runner for 200m, now trying for 400m – that was first question) who has broken her leg and is now training in a gym (that was the answer to the other question).

One more comment: a lot is happening before the test, at least in our case. I ended up showing my passport to at least five different people in four different rooms, were ticked off on various lists. I had to sign a piece of paper twice as the first signature didn’t match the one on the passport; also you are asked to leave all your belongings (except clear water bottle and passport) in a special assigned room; they later check you with a metal detector. Picture was taken; fingerprint taken; I read something into a microphone four times (not sure why). Means, with all that behind me, I found it a bit difficult then to focus and concentrate when the actual test started. So, beware.

PS: passed the test.