Happy New Year 2023

January 4, 2023
It's been awhile since I blogged. Partly through illness and partly through Covid effects upon the household, and Col's heart bypass.  And partly through contemplating whether to delete the blog altogether because of time, other interests and ageing (degeneration and deterioration!)

I've started the New Year by updating publications etc. from last year on my writer's CV and records. In the process I managed to wipe out my laptop clean of everything on my desktop - help! I eventually got the whole lot back minus the mornings work. On showing Col what id did (by demonstration) ha ha - I lost it all again. This time I couldn't get it back. So Col googled it and got it all back for me. It had something to do with One-drive, which I basically ignore, and now, it's on my to do list for reading up on... and, I shall be slower with mouse clicks in future and less quick to panic.

I'm starting this year's writing life by sending off some poems to competitions, working on my next children's picture book  (I have two away being illustrated by a very talented artist), and editing and collating one of the three poetry collections I have almost ready. I've put the next novel on hold, I don't have time or head space from it, after years of different versions I think it's outdated now, and I keep having to rewrite much of it. I am not one to give up though, perseverance being my middle name... 
 

FOR THE SILENT

May 28, 2019


Anthology by Indigo Dreams Publishing 2019, to aid the work of the League Against Cruel Sports. £10.00 from: www.indigodreams.co.uk  205 pages of some of the best poets writing today. (I'm honoured to be amongst them.)
Continue reading...
 

poetry

May 7, 2018
I've had a few technical difficulties for a couple of months with my blog site, which stopped me doing anything. Pleased to say it's all sorted now. Sometimes it's hard to believe I once once a science technician and in charge of all the school's computer systems. I often used to ask for help from the physics teacher who seemed to know everything back then. Now I have a wiz kid I can ask who runs his own business, pleased to say I didn't have to ring him up this time. But it's taken me awhile...
Continue reading...
 

Seat How Summit Trail

May 14, 2017

From Whinlatter Visitor Centre, Keswick, Cumbria. April 26th 2017

Moss dripped on branches, hung like green wigs from trunks on thousands of standing and many fallen trees. The path also revealed cut-outs of slate rock which had little falls of pink and grey slate shingle where I searched in vain for fossils. Tree creepers and mistle-thrush teased us for a photo shoot. The steep path was wide and looking back we could see an array of brown and grey mountains intermittently lit by the sun. The ...
Continue reading...
 

Fifty Ways to Fly

April 13, 2017
SOLD IN SUPPORT OF THE BRITISH WOMEN PILOT'S ASSOCIATION

An anthology of 50 brilliant poems from various poets.

First published in Great Britain, 2017



       

Continue reading...
 

Happy Burns Night 25th January

January 26, 2017

Happy Burn’s Night 25th January

Norwich Book Club discussed my poetry book ‘Notes From The Balcony’.

What an honour for me, who ever thought I’d be in such a position given I’m the youngest of ten children – a coal miner’s daughter. I left school at age 15 to work in a factory. I have to thank Adult Education – in schools, The Open University and the University of East Anglia, and lately on-line learning courses and of course my publishers.  I confess I love being a stude...


Continue reading...
 

July poetry books

August 2, 2016


Magazines subscriptions all seem to come at once! There's a couple here I brought, one freebie, and one to review. I also purchased The Somnabulist by Jenny Morris and Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee, the latter two read and loaned out. Hmm where do I start now?

Continue reading...
 

The Devil's Throat

March 18, 2016


Available from 25th April 2016
from Amazon Kindle

Continue reading...
 

Writer's CV for 2015

January 13, 2016
2015

Awards:
New Winds, (poem) The Poetry Society, Poetry Stanza Competition 2014, Commended,
Nominated for The Forward Prize 2015 by Paul Mc Grane of The Poetry Society

Twelve Feathers (for Pixie), Reach Poetry, Issue 197, February, (Issue 198) 3rd Place Reader’s Vote

other:
Re-cycling, Reach Poetry, Issue 207, Dec
Autumn Field Agent, Reach Poetry, Issue 205, October
Love is a Journey, wedding poem, St Peter’s Church, 2 May, (details on my web (blog) page)
Glass Mice, Reach Poetry, Issue 199, Ap...
Continue reading...
 

Poetry and Pimms

August 16, 2015
Poetry and Pimms
Saturday 15 August 2015

With a spectacular backdrop of the marshes at Cley and the setting sun, three of us (Julia Webb, Mathew Howard and me) recited our poetry to an appreciative audience. We centred our poems on the theme of 'nature'. Pimm's was flowing, and on a break with refreshments, we watched hares bounding and playing in the adjoining field, and a kestrel hunting. Special thanks to Rachel (of NWT Cley Marshes) for organising the event.


Early ...


Hares in the next field...
Continue reading...