The WOW! Castle
Where do I live? Just west of London. Quite near Windsor. Oh, yes, yes, we do have a lovely castle… Hang on, what’s wrong with me? What I mean is that we have a spectacular, magnificent castle! It is the castle of all castles! The trouble is that I take it for granted. When I … Read more
Mistletoe
Dripping with folklore Fascinating parasite Toy of harassment. : : Photo: Mistletoe on an apple tree at Cliveden, a National Trust property in Buckinghamshire, UK
A man ahead of his time
In 1632 at the Battle of Lutzen, Swedish troops were advancing against the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor. But mist and dense smoke were drifting over the battlefield. King Gustavus Adolphus, his bodyguard scattered, was lost, deep behind enemy lines. If you have read “Heroes and Traitors”, this will sound familiar. In real life, … Read more
An Unlikely Heroine
If you Google Alice Lisle you will find out that it is a “pub serving food with Sky TV in Ringwood”. You may like Sky TV with your food or food with your Sky TV, and it is a lovely pub, often frequented by friendly New Forest donkeys. But make sure if you visit the … Read more
A beginning
This item was written for a writing workshop in Marlow library. We had a selection of photos to choose from. We had to choose three and weave them together into the opening of a novel. See if you can guess what my three photos were! : She had been dreading it. But she had promised, … Read more
Hoorah for Heritage Weeks!
Hooray for Heritage Weeks! Yesterday, I had the privilege of a tour of the Buckinghamshire Archives at Aylesbury. There is something mystical about being in temperature-controlled storage lockers full of old documents which are expertly preserved and protected from pests and mould by the diligent archivists. What a great job they have! Our guide archivist … Read more
A good day on the planet
I’m very much an Eeyore person. I get depressed by the state of the world, and frustrated by every big and little thing that make my life difficult. So, it is a pleasure to report a better than average day! Being a Sunday, I awarded myself a lie-in, as much as my early-stirring body clock … Read more
Betty Mundy’s Cottage
: Seaman John Norris staggered along the stony track that led home, but he was still only on the first leg of his journey. Dark clouds had rolled in, throwing down persistent rain. Daylight was fading, and his backpack was heavy. John stumbled and cursed. As he righted himself, he noticed a faint flicker through … Read more
