blog-pre-2020

FOR THE SILENT

Tue, 28 May 2019 08:45:58 +0100

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.)

poetry

Mon, 07 May 2018 13:58:56 +0100

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 to get to the bottom of the problem, which was really simple to fix ...

Seat How Summit Trail

Sun, 14 May 2017 09:45:47 +0100

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 clouds being large and stratocumulus and consistant, later on brooding grey. A couple of drops of rain on out faces and a scattering of snow flakes was welcome. We had lunch on Seat How Summit, overlooking Keswick, Derwent Water and what seemed like every mountain in the lakes!

Moss on trees

Seat How Summit

Stratocumulus clouds

Fifty Ways to Fly

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 13:41:55 +0100

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

Happy Burns Night 25th January

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 09:29:50 +0100

Happy Burn’s Night 25^th 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 student (I did teach Environmental Science – outdoors for 15+ years) and still participate as a student on writing courses (currently writing children’s fiction). If anyone wants to write I’d recommend courses structured to teach creative writing. I started when I was in my twenties with Mary Mackie, the romantic novelist; she put us on the right track telling us all to at least start with an English A level. And though it’s taken me years – the journey, the science, the writing, have been marvellous. It’s always seems to have been about the journey for me. I’ve had some of the most incredible experiences and epiphanies on courses, summer schools and writing retreats, and shall continue on these wonderful roads knocking on and opening doors.

Public Lending Rights (Library) 15 loans (woo hoo) for last year (= £1.17p, hmm what shall I spend it on? Has to be a charity box donation!) Thank you to those folk who use the libraries and borrow our books, tis enough reward that folk want to read them that keep us going ...

July poetry books

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 10:19:07 +0100

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?

The Devil's Throat

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 13:21:07 +0100

Available from 25th April 2016
from Amazon Kindle

Poetry and Pimms

Sun, 16 Aug 2015 11:00:53 +0100

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 ...

LOVE IS A JOURNEY

Mon, 04 May 2015 12:35:11 +0100

LOVE IS A JOURNEY

Their first meeting – the coach for Archant’s annual awards ceremony,
Mandy walked down the aisle refilling raised glasses. Hot Tottie!
cried Andrew. Squashed together colleagues in best attire fell silent.
Mandy turned, hair cascading, and she laughed.

Theirs was a long-distance romance. Distance brought planes
and trains keeping track, distance brought car journeys
on snow-cotton drifts, distance brought photo’s lighting walls
and shelves with family and friends.

If you were to ask them about the distance they might recall
their first date at Cartmel, or times spent with dear friends
at Fitzfest, or the long nights on farmland in the camper-van,
or recalling the craggy outcrops of Haystacks.

Andrew proposed in the heart of the plateau of ancient stones,
watched by Skiddaw, Blencathra, Cat Bells, Helvellyn –
and bleating sheep and Japanese with cameras. In the office
testing a land-line. Scraping the words on the car windscreen –

Will You, Marry. Me?

The ‘For Sale’ sign in sunshine brought garden tools
and new paths, strawberries, peppers, trees that grow
a robin’s all year song. The door opens with welcome light,
knitted things, glints of eyes, orange fur, a teddies bow tie.

Today, Mandy’s wedding dress is made from silk
of snowdrop petals woven by small creatures of the wood.
The seamstress sewed tiny stars in hidden seams, Mandy’s
Nanny smiles down at the stardust trail.

Life is a journey of wonder and faith,
love is a journey of discovery and trust,
may you both have a happy new journey
blessed today with God’s love.

2nd May 2015, Church of St Peter, Easton

Poetry Unboound

Sat, 14 Mar 2015 12:23:21 +0100

This poem is currently on display at the Millennium Library in Norwich. Poets can drop a poem 'in the box' or via email, if selected the poem will be put on display in the library and when taken down will be stored for folk to browse on the web page. This poem was inspired by my observations of the flamingos in the pond I frequently pass (behind a fence!) when dog walking.