Blog

A story about a pirate.

Once upon a time a pirate came ashore at a little port.  Everybody stared at him for he was quite a character, weather-beaten and tough, hard-drinking and jocular.  Not only that, but he had a wooden leg, a hook and an eye-patch.  Everybody’s idea of what a pirate should indeed look like. He sat down […]

Posted 12 years ago

Theseus – one of my favourite things.

Theseus was the mythical son of the Greek sea-god, Poseidon, and of the king of Athens, Aegeus.  His mother, Aetha, slept with both her husband and the god at the same time. He was the founder-hero of Athens and, like other founder heroes – Perseus, Heracles, Cadmus – voyaged long and hard, fighting bitter fights […]

Posted 12 years ago

The Timber Merchant

Stuck for something to write, I said to my husband “say a word, any word”.  And he said TIMBER. Timber ? Right.  That is a good word and it immediately made me think of my grandfather’s story. My grandfather’s father was called Samuel, and his father before him was called Walter.  Walter was a coal […]

Posted 12 years ago

One of my favourite things – Alexander the Great.

One of my favourite subjects – Alexander the Great – potted !   There is a lot of myth and mystery surrounding Alexander the Great, which is perhaps what makes him so interesting.  Among other things he was said to have been fathered by a god, a reputation that grew as his power grew. Alexander […]

Posted 12 years ago

Reviews and reports on books, holidays, restaurants, hotels etc.

Now, don’t be nasty.  Don’t be rude. I am frequently asked to comment, or even to write entire items, about reviews and reports, whether they are book reviews, holiday reports, opinions about merchandise or restaurants or hotels………. …………and it never ceases to amaze me how people think they can be rude. Here is a review […]

Posted 12 years ago

Poem – The Shell

I held the shell to my sister’s ear, Listen – do you remember that sound ? The second tide is coming in, There is sand all around. We were playing at the water’s edge Where our little feet found The cool Pacific and tiny shells … Do you remember that sound ?   She clasped […]

Posted 12 years ago

Becoming an author, getting published.

Getting your story right.  These are just a few basic guide-lines, not necessarily cast in stone. I’ll start with the first few paragraphs of my novel “The Man with Green Fingers”:-   Stella crossed over on to the shaded side of the street.   There was nobody about.  The early July sun blasted down the […]

Posted 12 years ago

Ten keys to success.

The keys to success. Here are a few simple rules.  If you are going to be a shrinking violet, shy and awkward without the courage to say “boo!” well …. you probably won’t make it, whatever “it” may be.  Entrepreneurial types are generally aggressive (and by that I do not mean nasty or unkind), they […]

Posted 12 years ago

Every picture tells a story: on how to read Art. Part 14.

Moses defending the daughters of Jethro. This scene was painted in 1523 by the Florentine artist, Giovanni di Jacopo, usually simply known as Rosso because of his red hair. The painting is unusual in that it is full of violent movement at a time when silent and static figures were the norm.  In a way […]

Posted 12 years ago

Every picture tells a story: on how to read Art. Part 13.

The Victorian era ushered in a strong feeling of mortality, often astoundingly hypocritical, but nonetheless a time when social consciousness began to take a foothold in society as we know it today. Writers like Dickens brought attention to the plight of the poor, and artists took up this theme with gusto.  The plight of the […]

Posted 12 years ago

Books now available on Amazon:

A Call From France
French Sand
Kefani: An African Childhood
The Man With Green Fingers
Saying Nothing