Welcome to my occasional blog!

17th January 2010:

As from today my blog will be moving to a new home at: http://elizabethashworth.wordpress.com/

Using a 'proper' blogsite will allow you to interact with me and one another by responding to the posts with your comments and by subscribing to the blog as a 'follower'.  My New Year's Resolution (is it too late to make a resolution on the 17th of the month?) is to update it regularly with my news, thoughts and maybe some bits and pieces about the craft of writing and some snippets from my historical research.  You will also find another blog I've set up to share my research and photos of sundials around the county: http://lancashiresundials.wordpress.com/ 

I'll leave this one here for the time being and may even move a few things that are related to The de Lacy Inheritance across to the new site.  Come and have a look!

3rd January 2010:

So, here we are in 2010.  Happy New Year!  It has, so far, been a real winter with snowfall beginning a couple of weeks before Christmas Day and lasting throughout the end of 2009 and falling freshly in 2010.  It is very pretty to look at.  Tonight the sunset was beautiful as the pink and yellow tones of the fading day were reflected back from the pristine white snow on the rising hills.  Driving over it and walking on it are another matter though.  The thing I don't like about snow is that it is slippery.  I don't mind that it's cold.  I love the way it sparkles and covers my garden so that no-one can see it's a mess.  I love to try to discern exactly what has made the varied tracks across my patio when the day breaks, and I love the way it casts a bright glow under the light of the full moon.  If only it wasn't slippery I could learn to love it.

19th December:

Alicia de Lacy has convinced me that it is time to begin telling her story, even though I am still working on the text of my non fiction book about Yorkshire graves.

Beginning to write a new story is an interesting process, especially when it is a historical novel and you are basing it on real people and real facts.  At the moment I feel more like I'm tackling a jigsaw puzzle than a book. I've written an opening paragraph and I've written a closing paragraph; I have a few random scenes that I know I want to include and gradually I'm beginning to piece together a framework for the story before going on to fill in the detail.  Of course I've already added a few 'wrong' pieces and found that not only am I moving chunks around but that there are parts that don't seem to fit and may be from another 'puzzle' entirely.

One of the problems with researching for a historical book is that of misinformation. You think you have a grasp on who was related to who and how many brothers and sisters they had and then you discover that it is entirely wrong.  I'm learning who to trust, and who not to trust, on these matters and that helps me to make some progress.  I do like my stories to be as accurate as possible.  Even though 98% of a book may be pure fiction I want the remaining 2% that is based on actual facts to portray those facts correctly. 

Like other historical characters there have been some vile and totally untrue things written about Alicia.  One Victorian writer in particular has bismirched her character beyond reason so I hope that my book will help to set some records straight. No wonder she is so keen that we should begin.

3rd December:

I have been neglecting you!  To tell the truth I've been partly distracted by an ongoing debate on climate change on another website I visit.  Not a debate about what should be done, but about whether or not it exists.  It certainly has been  interesting but frightening as well and I fear for the future of mankind as a species if some of the comments I've read are to be taken seriously.

Anyway, a global conspiracy to enslave us all apart, I've been busy researching a companion book to Lancashire: Who Lies Beneath? which will be Yorkshire: Who Lies Beneath?  I've found a lot of very interesting stories and done some visits to take photos, though the photography is on hold until the longer, warmer days of springtime return.  It also means that my holiday destinations are pretty much spoken for next year. 

But I'm itching to begin a new novel.  I've done some research and made some notes and Alicia de Lacy keeps gently reminding me that I have promised to tell her story.  I will begin soon. 

In the meantime I'm recommending a story called The Lord Of Sawley by Libby Phillips.  It's available as a free ebook from www.lulu.com and as well as being a lot of fun I took the cover photo.  I wonder if anyone can guess where it is?  You can download it at: http://www.lulu.com/product/download/the-lord-of-sawley/6054405

12th October:

I have a best seller!  This morning I checked the Amazon rankings and my new book Lancashire: Who Lies Beneath? is at number one in the geneology section.  Does this mean I can describe myself as a best selling author, I wonder? What the heck.  Why not?  I may never get another chance.  So here you are, visiting the website of a best selling author.  Well done.  You have taste and discernment.

Tomorrow around 4pm I'll be talking on Radio Lancashire, if I can find anything coherent to say.  Perhaps I'll tell them that I'm a best selling author.  Or maybe I'll just babble and make a complete fool of myself.  You'll have to listen to find out.

7th October:

It's always exciting as publication day approaches, but actually seeing Lancashire: Who Lies Beneath? on the shelves in WH Smith this morning made my heart beat a little faster.  I would have liked a big display in the entrance, but that had been reserved for Dan Brown's latest offering - not that he needs the publicity.  But my book was there and even if it was tucked away near the back of the shop amongst the local interest books at least the cover was facing outwards! 

I'm looking forward to seeing the reviews in the local papers and in the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? magazine.  My publisher told me that they were very complimentary about the book and keen to review it.  So I'll be hoping to get my hands on a copy of that too, and if I can manage it I'll be uploading some scans and links to the reviews just in case you had any doubts about buying your own copy.  I shall be watching the book climb the Amazon charts and I'm hoping for a best seller.  The last time I looked it was at number six in its own category, which although slightly obscure still counts as a bestseller. 

I'm currently tramping the graveyards of Yorkshire for a companion volume so if you know any good stories from that area do let me know. 

9th September:

The post sounded heavy when it dropped through the box this morning - at a not unreasonable time for once!  And along with the inevitable student marking that helps to pay the bills was a well wrapped advance copy of my latest book Lancashire: Who Lies Beneath? 

It's amazing that no matter how hard you work on a book, researching, writing, editing and proof reading, it never ever seems real until you hold a printed version in your hand. 

It will be in the shops from next month and then I'll be going around compulsively checking who has it and rearranging the shelves to make sure it's prominently displayed.

23rd August:

Yesterday was the 524th anniversary of the battle of Bosworth Field.  I went to visit Bosworth earlier in the month and stood on the summit of Ambion Hill where the Yorkists had made their camp to await the coming battle with Henry Tudor.  To describe a place in a novel you really do need to go there to see the 'lie of the land' and to get a feel for the place.  Though standing in the peaceful Leicestershire countryside it was hard to imagine the noise and confusion and blood and gore that would accompany a real life battle.  The display in the Visitor Centre gives a taste, though I found myself increasingly irritated by their Lord Thomas Stanley. 

On the anniversary weekend there is a re-enactment of the battle and someone who went to visit yesterday said that she was surprised by the noise of the cannon!  Now there's a detail that could easily be overlooked in a written description if you weren't aware of it.  I'm hoping to be there for the 22nd next year.  Hopefully the novel will be finished by then and on its way to publication - and maybe just for once they could let Richard win?

19th July

I've been giving some thought to the differences between historical romance and historical fiction.  Not that I've come to any definate conclusion as I'm of the opinion that many books straddle the borderline between the two.  But given feedback from another agent who also expressed the opinion that By Loyalty Bound veered towards the historical romance category (perhaps I shouldn't have included all that torrid sex _joke!) I've decided to go for a re-write to add more dimensions and increase the word count.

Sometimes it can be hard for writers to take advice.  We tend to think our 'baby' is a perfect little specimen and that everyone should love it as much as we do squinty eyes and all.  But on refelction I have to admit that many agents do know and understand the market and that their feedback is worth listening to.

So the novel will be back: bigger, better and much improved (I hope).  Meanwhile I'm going to stand on the battlefield at Bosworth and seek inspiration.

25th June

Back down a snake today.  One of the agents who was looking at my work described it as 'well written', but told me she had just taken on a book that was set in the same time period so felt that there would be a conflict of interests.  Mind you the book she mentions is to be published as historical romance and I think I'd rather By Loyalty Bound remained unpublished that be classed as that.  It may sound snobby, but I've worked too hard on it for it to be lost amongst the heaving bosoms and strong jawed men who are ripping off their clothes!

Perhaps I'm not as badly off as these ducklings I saw in the park at Otley.  Their mother seemed to think that just because she  could get up the weir they could follow her.  I hope she saw sense in the end.  I'm still worrying about the poor little things.

12th June

'Get an agent,' said a writing friend.  'With one book accepted for publication and two more waiting you'll be hot property.'  So I decided to have a go.  I made a shortlist of a dozen agents who are interested in historical fiction and I sent off some letters and emails telling them how good I am and how lucky they are  to have made my pre-selected shortlist.  Well I didn't exactly say that, but I tried to be unapologetic.  Why should I apologise for approaching them?  An agent will take 15% of anything I get paid.  So by the time the taxman has taken his percentage as well I may have very few pounds left over.  But I suppose a few pounds is better than no pounds at all.

I've actually been surprised at the swiftness of some of the responses.  Three agents have asked to see more of my work already which has made me feel as if I've climbed a short but maybe significant ladder. 

9th June 2009:

Have you ever played snakes and ladders?  You know that feeling you get when you nearly reach the 100 and then you shake a number that means you land on that long, long snake that has its head on 98 and its tail on 2?  Well that pretty much sums up how I feel after receiving the unwelcome news that publication of The de Lacy Inheritance has been postponed.

I know there's a recession.  I know small independent publishers are really struggling.  But why did it have to happen when I'd come within two squares of being a published novelist?

So, having gone back down to the bottom row and thrown a tantrum, I'm now involved in as much damage limitation as I can acheive.  If you are someone who has supported me by pre-ordering the novel then a million thanks.  It is doing surprisingly well in the Amazon sales ranking for a first, unpublished novel and that is some consolation.  If you haven't pre-ordered and you want to read the novel then please pre-order now.  Those orders could make all the difference.

And if the publisher goes out of business?  Well I suppose I have to be realistic.   I will have to shake those dice and start to climb those ladders all over again - and if I do I may just be lucky enough to reach 100!  Though the speed at which publishing progresses that could well mean 100 years old.

24th May 2009:

It's been a mixed week in many ways.  I've been in Middleham in North Yorkshire, visiting the castle and bonding with my favourite historical person - King Richard III.  The weather was showery and we spent most of the time wrapped up in winter coats and trying not to get wet.  But I suppose that's the nature of the English countryside at any time of the year.

I did manage to see various places, other than Middleham, linked with Richard. I visited Raby Castle, where his mother Cecily Neville was born, as well as Barnard Castle and Fountains Abbey. 

I have a theory that Richard's son Edward of Middleham is buried at Fountains Abbey and not at the church in Sheriff Hutton as claimed.  The effigy that is supposed to be Edward at Sheriff Hutton is dressed in clothes that are around a hundred years too soon for the year he died in 1484 and it seems unlikely that his body was taken from Middleham where he died to the church there.  To me it seems much more likely that he was taken to Fountains, around twenty miles south of Middleham and the most important abbey in the area that was patronised by his father, the king. 

18th April 2009:

When I was writing The de Lacy Inheritance I knew that at least one of the wells at Clitheroe was a sulphur well which was reputed to have healing powers.  Apparently at one time their were plans to make Clitheroe a spa town to rival Harrogate and Bath, but the water smelt so bad that no-one would have come.

 So I was very excited (I know it's sad) when I went to the Bolton Abbey estate the other day and found a real, smelly sulphur well on the bank of the river.

19th March 2009:

Now you would think that elderly people living at Lytham would be amongst the most honest members of society wouldn't you?  You would imagine them as being the sort of citizens who sigh about what the world is coming to when they read the latest crime figures.  So I must say that I was shocked earlier today when I saw an elderly man supporting himself on his walking stick and openly stealing.

We were driving down from St Annes and as we turned the bend near the cricket ground I exclaimed in delight at the show of daffodils that were in thick profusion on the verges on either side of the road.  Then I saw him.  Bent double, leaning on his walking stick, with a handful of picked blooms and taking more.  If I'd been driving I think I would have been tempted to pull in and ask him why he thought it was okay to steal them.  I suspect he would have been shocked if I had accused him of being a thief.  But he is a thief.  Those daffodils had been planted, with council tax payers' money, for everyone to enjoy.  So if you are sitting at home with a lovely display of fresh daffodils in a vase on your table, I hope you have purchased them honestly or grown them yourself.  If you have stolen them.  Shame on you!

18th March 2009:

Well I never!  It's come to my attention that there are people reading this blog!  Well one person at least.  You know who you are.  And here I was having a perfectly nice time commenting on this and that when the mood took me, probably not as often as it ought to, secure in the knowledge that I was talking to myself.  But now that I know people are reading I feel a bit worried.

Now that may seem a strange thing for a writer to say (or write).  Surely writers write with the intention of being read.  Or do they?

There are many people who are 'closet' writers.  They write for their own pleasure and would never dream of sharing their work with anyone.  It is enough for them to meet the challenge of constructing a story or novel and getting the words down on paper without wanting - or needing - another reader to share that work.

To be honest I find that difficult to understand.  Whilst writing a blog like this may make me feel I am baring my soul - although I doubt I would ever share everything that goes on in the dark and dangerous corners of my mind - I have no worries about sharing my fictional stories.  After all those people are not me.  Or are they?  Because if they are not me, or at least a facet of me, where did they come from?  And where did they go to when I was finished with them?  Is there a place somewhere entirely peopled by characters from fiction that writers have no more use for?  I hope it isn't called 'earth'.

27th February 2009:

'Brown paper packages, tied up with string...these are a few of my favourite things'.  So sang Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music.  but how often these days do you get a package like that? 

Well, I got one on Tuesday and it looks so good and so exciting that I'm reluctant to open it.  But don't I want to know what's inside?  Actually I already know what's in it - three books I bought on a bookshop in Southport: one about the Magna Carta, one about the battle of Bosworth and one about Henry VI.

The shop in question is called Broadhursts and it is a fascinating place.  It looks quite small as you go in but as you move towards the back you see there are plenty of shelves and a flight of stairs leads up to not one but two upper floors all with well planned and tidy rooms crammed with bookshelves.  But one of the best things is that behind the paydesk, with it's up-to-date payment facilities that include plastic as well as cash, is a comfy looking chair at the side of a real coal fire!  Yes, a real fire, blasting out a surprising amount of heat.  No wonder they say they have trouble with people making themselves at home. I could have stayed there all day reading books, especially if they'd brought me a cup of tea, and maybe some cake, and allowed me to poke the fire.

Poking a fire is a joy I haven't had for a long, long time.  At first I was deemed too young, then when I reached the age that I could be trusted to wield a red-hot poker something called the Clean Air Act intervened and open coal fires were banned from the house.  In the end I had to tear myself away.  But I did come out with my brown paper parcel.  All I have to do now is bring myself to open it.

13th February 2009:

Today is Friday the thirteenth and, touch wood, nothing has gone wrong so far although I am reluctant to tempt fate by saying so!  Why is that superstition has such a hold over us?  I can understand the dangers of walking under a ladder and why one magpie on its own is sad, and I know that the origins of bad luck associated with Fridays and the number thirteen lie in Christianity, but what I don't understand is why the houses across the road jump from eleven to fifteen because people are too afraid to buy one numbered thirteen in case it brings them bad luck.

I don't think I would mind living in  a house numbered thirteen.  But I wouldn't buy one - after all I might want to sell it one day and I certainly wouldn't want to lose money because others were biased against it.

I once had a car and the numbers on the numberplate added up to thirteen.  I was told that was why I was having such a problem selling it on.  People thought it might be unlucky.  It was unlucky for me - unlucky that I hadn't realised how superstitious people were before I bought it. 

So to all of you who live at number thirteen, or who have a car whose registration adds up to that number, all I can say is - good luck!

12th January 2009:

A belated Happy New Year!

I have been eagerly awaiting 2009 as it will see the publication of two of my books: the de Lacy Inhertance from Myrmidon and Grave Tales from Countryside Books.  I only need to pursuade Myrmidon to publish a second novel before the end of December and I can have a hat trick.  And yes, I have it written!  It's another historical fiction book and it's about Anne Harrington of Hornby Castle and her relationship with King Richard III.  Now those of you who know me may already have an inkling that I quite like Richard III.  In fact he has almost replaced a certain actor who was the catalyst for my interest.  Sorry RA, you seem to have been ursurped by your namesake but I will always be grateful to you for rekindling my interest in this period of history because the research led to the idea and storyline for this second novel!

28th December:

Perhaps my New Year's resolution should be to update this blog more often!  As a writer you would think that I would have something to write more often, but the truth is that I'm usually too involved in fictional worlds to break off and take a long hard look at real life.

But here I am in that delicious hiatus between Christmas and new year when I feel that I can please myself.  Not that I've taken a break from writing.  I enjoy it too much and I'm too involved with the characters in my latest book A Year and a Day to leave them to fend for themselves over the festive season.  I did abandon them on Christmas Day though and on the feast of St Stephen as well (a much nicer name than 'Boxing Day').  On the 26th Ben and I walked around Fairhaven Lake and then drove down through Blackpool.  At a quarter past four the sun disappeared over the horizon in welcome proof that the days are lengthening and that the spring and summer will come - a summer I'm anticipating with particular impatience as June will see the publication of The de Lacy Inheritance.

It always seems wrong to wish time away though, no matter how much you're looking forward to something. 

And as you grow older you realise that every moment is precious and to be savoured rather than wasted.  Some moments are more worth savouring than others and the St Stephen's Day sunset was one of those that had the quality to connect spiritually with existence as I watched the simple beauty of the world merely turning.

21st October:

I went to visit the Imperial War Museum at Salford Quays today.  I didn't take the camera so I'm not able to show you the stunning architecture but the area is worth visiting to see the buildings alone.  The museum is very interesting and strives to make visitors 'think again' about war.  But as I followed a elderly man around some of the exhibits and listened to him regailing his grandchildren with tales of his exploits and the guns he'd fired I couldn't help but wonder if his enthusiam was giving them the impression that the war had been exciting and something to look back on with affectionate nostalgia.  I had much the same feeling as the lady sitting beside me during one of the presentations sighed at her memories of days gone by.  Whilst those who lived through the war years remember and relate their experiences with such apparent regret for the 'good times' how will the message that war is horrible and that we should strive to never let it happen get through to the next generation?

4th October:

I was in the Kaydee book shop in Clitheroe this afternoon when I overheard a conversation about the meaning of the Lancashire County Palatine.  Two ladies had just driven down from Gisburn and seen the marker on the roadside that shows where the historic boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire was sited.  They were asking the salesperson if she knew what 'palatine' meant.  Unable to contain myself I butted in to explain that it meant that the ruler of the historical county (the Duke of Lancaster) was given royal (from the palace) powers within the courts and administration of the county and was in reality a ruler with the same powers as the monarch.  Of course the title of the Duke of Lancaster became one of the titles of the monarch when Henry IV became king and the present queen is also the Duke of Lancaster.

The two ladies listened eagerly and seemed impressed.  Then one jokingly asked how much they owed me.  "You can buy a copy of my book!" I told them cheekily and showed them the shelf where Tales of old Lancashire was displayed.  I did walk away at that point rather than pressuring them into a purchase, but I hope that if they did buy it they enjoy reading it!

29th July: 

Last week I was in Yorkshire.  Now I know there's supposed to be huge rivalry between the counties and it's true that there is a light-hearted way, but I've been reading a lot about the Wars of the Roses and the life of Richard III in particular and it's a fascinating subject that reveals there is no clear divide between Lancashire and Yorkshire in a geographical sense.  In fact it seems to have been more of a north/south that caused much of the trouble during the reign of Richard; well that and his relationships with the Stanley family which seem to have been on shaky ground for much of the time, especially after Thomas Stanley married Margaret Beaufort who was the mother of the man who eventually became Henry VII.  I could go on for ever about this period of history as I've become quite obsessed, but I'll save it for the new novel I'm writing which will reveal the true reason for the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Anyway, as I was saying, last week I was in Yorkshire.  Middleham to be exact and that's where Richard III had what is said to be his favourite home at Middleham Castle.  Mostly ruined now it's a beautiful place and I found it very atmospheric.  

But I'm spending the second week of my holiday at home or on a staycation as the current popular terminology calls it.  It's good to stay at home and try to keep that holiday feeling; I'm trying to treat the house as another holiday cottage (and a very nice one it is!)  It also gives me time to visit the places nearby that I tend to take for granted.  I've been to Whalley Abbey and to Hoghton Tower so far.  Both are places that people come great distances to visit but because they're so near to my home their familiarity tends to make me overlook them.  I have been to both before but it was interesting to see them with 'holiday eyes'. 

11th May:

The other day I went to visit Norton Priory in Cheshire to look for the grave of Richard FitzEustace (also known as Richard of Chester) who is one of the main characters in my novel The deLacy Inheritance.

The priory was built using money given by the barons of Halton who were Richard's family and sources record him being buried there, probably under the chapter house.  The picture shows a stone coffin in that location that contained bones that showed signs of leprosy.

The site of the priory was excavated in the 1970s and bones were removed from all the stone coffins.  Some, including one full skeleton, are displayed in the priory museum and the rest are in boxes in a storeroom.  I found this quite troubling.  These people were buried with reverence and what right have we to remove and display their remains as curiosities?

Part of the newer extension to the chapter house was not excavated as it had yew trees growing there.  Although it is probably too 'new' I hope that Richard's remains are there, undisturbed and not the ones on display in a glass case.

Here's a quote from John Webster's Duchess of Malfi:

I do love these ancient ruynes;
We never tread upon them but we set
Our foote upon some reverend history;
And questionless have in this open court
(Which now lies naked to the injuries
Of stormy weather) some men lie interred,
Loved the Church as well, and gave as largely to’t.
They thought it should have canopied their bones
Till Domesday ; but all things have their end;
Churches and cities (which have diseases like to men)
Must have like Death that we have.

Easter Day 2008:  Sunday 23rd March:

Despite most people hoping for a white Christmas a white Easter seems much more likely, especially when it's as early as it is this year.  I woke at five this morning and peeped out of the window to see everything covered in a couple of inches of snow.  It was mostly melted by morning though some remained all day even though the sun broke through the clouds from time to time.

So, eschewing the temptation of chocolate, I went out to get some fresh air and exercise and took the camera.  My main aim was to photograph the graves in Stydd Chapel at Ribchester, but afterwards I walked down to the riverbank and saw that there was still snow coating the slopes of Pendle Hill.

Sunday 16th March:

Yesterday was the Annual General Meeting of the Lancashire Authors' Association.  I've been a member for well over 25 years and worked my way up from novice to Chairman.  The LAA will celebrate its centenary next year 2009.  It will have been in existance for 100 years! 

That is quite an achievement, but like many other small organisations the LAA struggles with numbers these days.  The membership is increasingly elderly and I've been looking for ways to encourage new members. 

I talked (for far too long) about publicity yesterday and the need to provide a reason for new members to join. 

Attempting to drag the LAA into the new millennium I've set up a chatsite, though the response was mixed.  I think that there is so much negative publicity about the internet in some areas that older people especially are terrified and think that one click will either see their bank accounts emptied or display the most disgusting pornography on their screens.

I think it's a shame that the negative side of the web should be uppermost in their minds when there are so many good things to be found online.  The internet has been literally life changing for me, allowing me to live and work in a way I could never have imagined even ten years ago.

I often think that I am privileged to have lived during these years that have seen such enormous changes.  My life has seen the beginnings of space exploration, the first man on the moon, the first landings of probes on Mars and the development of computer technology that would have seemed fantastic when I was child when someon's idea of technology would have been an adding machine.  It has been a revolution and I'm thrilled to have had the chance to be a part of it.

Sunday 2nd March:

I spent most of yesterday in Manchester at the Society of Authors' meeting.  The two very interesting speakers were Geoff Fisher from Antony Rowe who spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of publishing your own work, and Alison Baverstock who spoke about marketing yourself and your work.

 But for me I think the most enjoyable part of these meetings is meeting other writers.  One of the things that Alison spoke about was 'accessing encouragement' and that is so important for writers.  We sit alone in our rooms putting words on paper or screen and it is so easy to become discouraged.  Having support from other writers can make all the difference and I really appreciate the opportunity to chat and compare notes with other writers either in real life or on the writers' sites I visit online.  There can be a disadvantage though!  It's so easy to spend the whole day talking about writing that nothing ever gets written.

Friday 29th February 2008:

So, the question is whether today is really an extra day in your life.  and if so did you do anything exciting with it.  Well in my case the answer is no.  I spent the day marking students' work and battling with websites that seemed to believe that they were owed a day off. 

In fact yesterday was a better day.  For one thing it was dry and sunny, unlike the wild wind we've had today that blew the boiler out.  That is another story: re-setting it involves climbing on a stool or stepladder in the corner of the garage and both boiler and boiler controls are positioned in the ideal place for giving anyone a crick in the neck.  But yesterday -yes- yesterday was a good day (apart from getting overcharged in a restaurant - I wouldn't mind paying twice for puddings if I'd eaten two puddings!).  I was at Grasmere in the Lake District to see if the daffodils were out.  Not quite as you can see from the photo on the left, but a very tame robin in the churchyard was delightful.  Here he is posing on a gravestone and hoping for some crumbs from the gingerbread shop.

Saturday 9th February 2008:

Well yes I am well aware that the idea of a blog is to write it regularly and not every two months!  But I do have an excuse of sorts.  Do you remember that really icy day the week before Christmas?  You probably don't but I do!  Trying to keep my 2007 New Year's resolution to walk every day I set off to the postbox on very icy pavements and coming back down the hill...well you can probably guess...I did the worst type of ice skating possible. 

Isn't it strange that when you fall down the first thing you worry about is whether anybody saw you and if you've made a fool of yourself?  I assured the young girl who lives around the corner that I was fine but when I got home it became increasingly obvious that I had hurt myself.  Okay, I could move my fingers but the strange grating noise when I tried to bend my elbow was a bit worrying.  So off I went in a taxi to our new 'state of the art' hospital and the 'emergency' unit which is situated in a portacabin just outside.  The outcome was a radial head fracture which, I have to say is one of the most painful things I've ever endured.  So I've been feeling sorry for myself and I've only been able to type with one hand.  I'm still finding many things impossible, for example getting the lids off things, and typing is still painful although it is apparently good exercise, but the worst thing is still not being able to drive the car; at least the gear changing and handbreak bit which are fairly essential!

Anyway a belated 2008 resolution is to keep the blog and the website updated, hopefully with encouraging news and less whingeing.

Sunday 11th November 2007:

 Having spent the afternoon battling the computer to get this new website up and running there's not much to say except that computers are wonderful when they co-operate and when they don't - well...

So as I'm at a loss for words for the time being here's a picture for you to look at: autumn in Grasmere.

Thursday 6th December:

I was interviewed on the late show on Radio Lancashire last night.  Although the interview was recorded earlier in the evening I didn't stay up to listen as I find little more excrutiatingly embarrassing than listening to myself talk!

I'd been nervous all day about what I was going to say.  I always think I'm better on paper than I am in real life and I'd made copious notes in case my mind went blank.  But when it came to the interview I just went into 'performance' mode and talked.  I hope it made sense.  The interviewer, Carole Turner, was very nice and let me chat away and mention both my books as well as my website.  Thanks Carole!