Fame at last!

So nice to be mentioned in the Cheshire Press and thanks to the King (Daniel) for posting this on!

Been a long January! Welcome February.

Can you believe it? This time last year it was snowing, deep enough in the Cotswolds to prevent travel down the winding potholed lanes to work in Oxford. We fed the birds in the garden to keep them alive.

Chaffinch on the snow covered bird table.

Little did we know that this would be our beloved Ted's last winter. We thought we had many years left in him.

The first cuckoo in the garden, in a frosty mist, a herald, hoping for the Spring to come.

At the end of the month, blue skies and cold sunshine, and a visit to Hilary Long's place of residence to remind myself that there was still life in Overdown. A new book followed, but did it finish Hilary's adventures or start them anew?
 
 

Nantwich Book signing a BIG success!

Mark Turnbull, Norah Carling, Jenni Kettle, Dave the interviewer and me in my Cavalier wedding dress!

 Steve introducing me to the audience of around 50 very nice people.

Chatting away, pulling faces and using my hands for expression. If I sat on my hands I couldn't talk!

Signing my books for members of the audience - what a priviledge.

Mark Turnbull, myself, Nora Carling, Dave the interviewer and Steve's wife who made some lovely authentic 17thC Pagett pie! After the event.

Must admit I didn't sleep I was so adrenalin fuelled, and I had to get up the next day and sign some more books outside the shop! 

 
 
 

 

Change of Venue

https://www.nantwichbookshop.co.uk/


Change of venue for Civil War Author's evening - now at the Cosy Nantwich Bookshop - see you there.

Holly Holy Day Nantwich 2020

Hello Everyone,

I'm back and ready to rumble!

In two weeks time I will make the annual pilgrimage with hundreds of members of The Sealed Knot Armies to Nantwich in Cheshire to re-enact the 1644 Battle of Nantwich. Where we Royalists under Lord Byron we will have the unfortunate luck to have our Armie divided by a flood and so gave the Victory to the Parliamentarians. It will actually take place on the correct date this year, the 25th of January.

For details of the events taking place on the Saturday see
https://www.battleofnantwich.org/

As for me, I will be arriving on Friday 24th of January to give a talk on my new book 

"A Farthing for Oxforde" alongside two other Civil War authors, Nora Carlin and Mark Turnbull. This has been organised by https://www.nantwichbookshop.co.uk/

It will take place at 7.00 at Nantwich Methodist Church. Hospital Street, 
Nantwich, CW5 5RP Tickets available from the Bookshop.

Times of the re-enactment battle will be on The Sealed Knot page below. It's a chance to see what the 17th Century Armies look like on the March and on the field.
It also gives the Armies a chance to win the prestigious Rosebowl a prize for Drill and performance on the field, and it's usually hotly contested.
 
http://www.thesealedknot.org.uk/events/new

Been a while...

Hopefully back again.

Writing again.

Well again?  Well sort of, I'm not prone anymore and I have been out and about.

Like Jane Austen's heroines I went to Bath to take the waters.

 Here is my dear hubby and myself at the Bath Costume Museum.

We walked and walked. Trying to walk away the illness, pretending I am better is half way to getting there I think.

We stayed at Wellington's mistresses' house. Superb.

Went to the Spa and I had a facial, part of being me again.

My "Farthing for Oxforde" has been getting some superb reviews, for which I am grateful.

I had to read one of them twice just to believe it was for my book!

"It's a lovely book. It's well researched and well written, but it's also got such warmth for the characters and love for the history shining off the page."   J Swift.

Time as usual is racing by, and another adventure awaits, back in Cornwall this time for a break. 

I am about 45% there with my health. I pretend to be 60% and hope my body will believe it!

This has been a short sketch of my life, haven't got time for much more. 

But I will be back!


 
 

Time

Goes so fast, there is not much of it when you come down to it.

Life

Life is like a faded blossom, as petals of a rose, we bloom, we prosper, we fade and die.

The colour goes from us.
There is no strength in us.
Just memories of who we once were.

Young, strong, beautiful, long limbed with armfuls of laughing children. Busy important jobs, taking breaks for sunny beach days.

Now there is no fight left.

Our arms and homes are empty - like our purses.
We can keep our experience and our intelligence - but not our jobs.

Pain and despair filter through on even the sunniest beach days. No running on the warm sand scooping children into our arms.

Our feet drag along through time, pulling our pain with them,
I do not want to say goodbye.
I want to live again.

Renewed.