You may have heard, our writing group (The Whittlesey Wordsmiths) has recently published two Christmas collections of memories, short stories and verse. One is called Windy Christmas, the other is Jingle Bells and Tinsel Tales. Here is a snippet from Windy Christmas. Windy Christmas Here comes fresh snow; swirling clumps of it. My kind of … Continue reading Windy Christmas
Ekphrastic
One prompt for 12 poems in 12 months earlier this year was Ekphrastic. No I didn't know what it meant either until I looked it up. The Christmas Crackerby W H Tweed (1840-1899) Apparently it means talking about stuff to do with art. My poem is below. It started as blank verse but kind of … Continue reading Ekphrastic
Online Presence
I must be getting noticed. If the number of entrepreneurs offering me services to improve my blog are any kind of measure, I must be coming up in more searches. I'm getting more spam among my comments too - not something I remember to check very often. I've had no trolls so far though. So, … Continue reading Online Presence
Diversion
Since I have no idea what to write about this week, here's another poem from the 12 poems in 12 months challenge at deadlinesforwriters.com The prompt for this one was found. Diversion I thought I knew the way. I’ve not renewed my SatNav sub – it ran out back in May. The road was closed. … Continue reading Diversion
My story in SevenDays magazine
I'm pleased to report that my story "The Network" is published this week in SevenDays magazine in the UK. Seven Days is a new weekly UK magazine offering a plethora of puzzles; craft, cooking and lifestyle articles; celebrity interviews; and short fiction. My story, "The Network" is in issue 3. ........
London Trivia: Windmill closes
One of my daughters was recently discussing the origins of nursery rhymes and there are two in this blog episode…
But quite apart from those, I commend to you this weekly cornucopia of metropolitan trivia from a London cabbie which never fails to fascinate my North London hubby (you can take the ‘boy’ out of London but you can’t take the Londoner out of the ‘boy’.)
On 31 October 1964, the Windmill Theatre closed for conversion to a cinema. Its slogan ‘We never close’ referred to the fact that it continued its Revuedeville shows throughout the war.
On 31 October 1971 at 4.30am a bomb exploded at viewing gallery of BT Tower 2 weeks previously a white kitten had felled it on The Goodies
In the 17th and 18th centuries London thief-takers were rewarded £40+ the horse, arms and money of any highwayman they captured and were convicted
Meard Street is not named after the French word merde. It was the unfortunate name of its 1720s developer John Meard
In his will Dickens stipulated that no monuments be erected to his memory, that’s why London has no statues of one of its greatest writers
London Bridge is Falling Down referred to Norwegian King Olaf who suggested destroying the wooden bridge while occupied by Danes
The nursery…
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Bolt-cutter Blunder
Bolt-cutter Blunder Great-Gran’s attic is stuffed with junk. My wife and I are consigning most of it to bin bags and putting aside stuff we want to take downstairs for a closer look, away from the rustlings of mice. We’ve come across a padlocked box. My family suffered from one of those congenital conditions that … Continue reading Bolt-cutter Blunder
It’s Not You; It’s Me
It was my first job after school. After some early pleasantries, the staff room where ate my packed lunch would descend into funeral-grade silence (it was a public library, after all; everyone was reading new arrivals). The sound of my own crunching seemed to reverberate in my head, although my mouth was closed and nobody … Continue reading It’s Not You; It’s Me
Erasing word ‘mother’ is morally wrong
I don’t usually get involved in political arguments, but this is such a stupid and pointless decision for any government to take – and not within their remit.
Midwife and mother @turtillachip says the Scottish Government’s rush for inclusion belittles one of humanity’s important roles
I write this while sitting in utter dismay and deep in thought at the newest step from our Scottish Government.
They have decided to erase the word mother to make it more inclusive for parents who do not wish to be called mother.
To call mothers people.
I can honestly say that, throughout this campaign on the erasure of women, this has to be one of the saddest, most utterly depressing decisions that Nicola Sturgeon and her government have come up with so far.
Every single person on earth was born of a mother
We all have a mother, every single person on this earth. Some may not know their mother, some may not be close to their mothers, but everyone, without exception, came from the body of a mother.
In my 22…
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Christmas Reading?
Our writing group has just published two Christmas collections Windy Christmas is an eclectic collection of memories, poems and short stories (one or two perhaps not for the fainthearted). Jingle Bells and Tinsel Tales, on the other hand, is for those of a gentle disposition and suitable for bedtime reading to younger family members. Illustrations … Continue reading Christmas Reading?
Writing Wrinkles 