Image Credit: The images for the summit were supplied by the summit organisers, Creative U.
Introduction
I was thrilled to be invited to take part in my first writing summit, Share Your Story Writing Summit, which runs from 18th to 23rd March.
This is a big step for me and I was told about it by Wendy H Jones.
[Read more…] about Local Author News – Allison Symes – Share Your Story Writing Summit Update
Music, especially classical, is one of life’s great joys as far as I’m concerned and I count myself lucky to be able to enjoy listening to this while writing my stories and blog posts. Two fabulous things enjoyed together – lovely.
But how did I get into classical music at all and what connections had I already formed with it before getting into it “properly”?
The u3a nationally has been going through a re-branding of late and the new Chandlers Ford u3a website launched only last week.
The Chandlers Ford u3a group was formed in March 1998 and now has more than 400 members. The Chandlers Ford u3a would normally meet on the 3rd Monday at 2pm of each month at the Dovetail Centre of the Methodist Church in Winchester Road, but they have had to resort to Zoom of late.
Members of the u3a have a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience which as a self-help group can be shared with others. We have around 50 special interest groups which meet in members homes covering topics such as languages at varying levels, the arts, literature, history and science. We also have outings to theatres and gardens, local places of interest, and countryside walks.
A u3a is a learning co-operative of older people, which enables members to share many educational, creative and leisure activities. Activities are organised mainly in small groups that meet regularly, often in each other’s homes. Members, through sharing their knowledge, skills and experience, learn from each other.
Although all local u3as remain operationally independent, they are members of The Third Age Trust. As such they must abide by both the original Objects and Principles written by Peter Laslett in 1981 and the Principles of the u3a Movement (2014).
The Trust is a national, umbrella body (a registered charity and limited company) which represents all u3as in the UK at national and international level. It is run by a National Executive Committee democratically elected from the membership and offers a range of services, to support and advise local u3as.
The image of Compton Lock was taken on a walk from Shawford, Compton and St. Cross.
The aircraft image is from a visit the u3a members paid to the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old Sarum, just outside Salisbury.
You can contact Chandlers Ford u3a with email: admin@cfordu3a.org.uk.
This year’s Great Daffodil Appeal will be one like no other. Thousands of Marie Curie volunteers will not be able to collect donations in exchange for a daffodil at local supermarkets, trains stations or town centres like they usually do each spring. However, you can still be a part of this year’s Great Daffodil Appeal by donating online
You couldn’t pick a better year to support Marie Curie Nurses. Like everyone, Marie Curie has been hit hard by coronavirus. Their Nurses and hospices have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic, caring for dying people and their families.
Marie Curie have also seen more people than ever calling their Support Line, looking for help because they are feeling isolated or have had to grieve for a loved one alone during lockdown. [Read more…] about Great Daffodil Appeal – Supporting Marie Curie
In my head, and probably in yours too, there is a jumble of memories of ancient Greeks — old men, bald and with beards, who did stupid but essential things. There is one who overflowed his bath and ran naked down the street. One drank hemlock, and another lived in a barrel; one married his mother. They fought a lot, invented gods and wrote unreadable books. And they were good at geometry.
I resurrected one of these weirdos from my memory; they all look the same, dressed in chitons or togas and sandals. I first made the acquaintance of this one when I was 12 years old, Pythagoras by name. He died about 500 years BCE, but he was clever with triangles.
‘Pythagoras, please help me. I need a length of rope to hang from a high branch on a tree to make a swing. How long should it be? I can’t get up there to measure the height.’
[Read more…] about It’s All Greek to Me
For once I’ve summed up my news in my title! January and February have been incredibly busy but fun.
One thing all writers want is to build on what has gone before so we move forward. Those moves forward can be in big steps, little ones, or anything in between. Often one thing leads to another. It is the way of the writing life a lot happens over a comparatively short period and then nothing for a while. A bit like London buses – three turn up near enough at once! But you get used to that.
[Read more…] about Local Author News – Allison Symes – Summits, Talks, and Interviews
This week, I chat to Amanda Jones, Gail Aldwin, and, aptly, finish the series by talking with my publisher, Gill James.
Gill, like Richard Hardie, sees the writing life from both sides of the fence as an author and publisher. She is the creative force behind Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit, and Chapeltown Books.
As ever, Gran is gripped by the Summer’s tennis at Wimbledon, and this year, 1978, she makes her usual observations, such as, on July 3rd: “… the best match, between Roscoe Tanner and Ilie Nastase, was, unfortunately, ended on a conflicting point”, caused by a poor line call at match point; and she is pleased that Chris Evert beats Billie-Jean King; sorry to see Evonne Cawley lose to Martina Navratilova in the Ladies’ semi-final, which, she says, began as a, “…very good match but ended in the third set sadly as Evonne uttered a sharp scream as her suspect ankle gave out. She gallantly played on but could not run and inevitably lost…” The Ladies’ final she does not think a particularly good match, “neither player being at her best”, but Navratilova, having beaten Chris Evert, Gran is pleased to write: “Nice to have a European Champion for a change, if we could not have Virginia Wade again. Martina is a Czech”.
And of the Borg – Connors Men’s final, she writes, “Borg demolished Connors by 6-2 6-2 6-3 to become Singles Champion for the third year in succession, the only one to achieve this since Fred Perry did so forty-two years ago”.
July 9th provides Gran with a small ambition accomplished:
I went to Church at Compton this morning… Mr Ovenden came to shake hands with me and welcomed me, and, as I left, Daphne Meller was standing at the gate of “Cherrycroft”, her delightful old cottage, and asked me in to have coffee before she brought me home in her car. The cottage was once two, and later was the Village Post Office and I have long wanted to see inside it. I was not disappointed! Low ceilings, black beams and panelled walls, huge fireplaces and furnished in keeping, a lovely garden and the outside of the cottage clothed in Honeysuckle, Clematis, Wisteria and Vine.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 157)
You are invited to join the first online Chinese New Year event on Sunday 14/2/2021 at 5pm, organised by Southampton Chinese Association.
If you are unable to join Zoom, you can join using the YouTube Live link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_OkT9EdD6k
Programmes include: Lion dance, Martial Art display, Chinese dance and music, Chinese opera, and Dragon dance.
It is the Year of the Ox.
[Read more…] about Online Chinese New Year Celebration from Southampton: Sunday 14.02.2021 at 5pm
This week I chat to friends from Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit, and Chapeltown Books, who didn’t launch one book in lockdown. They launched several! Now there’s a challenge!
We all know that 14 February is St Valentine’s Day – accompanied these days with its commercialised retail opportunity to buy cards and gifts for loved ones. But do you know how it all began?
It all started as a third-century Christian feast to commemorate some early martyrs, all called Valentine, which must have been a popular name in those days. There was Valentine of Rome, a priest martyred in 269 (he ministered to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire) and Valentine of Terni, a bishop martyred in 273. There also seem to have been another saint called Valentine who was martyred in Africa with other companions, although not much more is known about him.
Welcome to Part 3 of my Launches in Lockdown series.
My guests tonight hail from that wonderful phenomenon known as the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, believed to the oldest residential writing school in the world. See its website for more.
The cancellation of the 2020 Swanwick was the first cancellation in its 70 year history and deeply saddened all who love this wonderful celebration of all things connected with writing. We all hope it will be the only cancellation too.
Thanks to Chippy Minton and Mrs Chippy enjoying their walk in Cranbury Park, readers may be interested to hear about another piece of history attached to the park …
I am sure we are all familiar with the Buttercross in Winchester’s High Street. This fifteenth-century market cross stands 43 feet high and is reckoned to be the finest in the country. True to its name, its original function was for market traders to display the butter they had for sale, as well as cheese, eggs and milk. With four statues in niches, only the one of St John the Evangelist is original, the other three having been replaced during restoration in 1865 by Sir George Gilbert Scott (architect of many notable buildings and monuments including the Albert Memorial in London).
After the muddiness of our trek-through Cranbury Park, we looked for somewhere with better paths for our next walk. We visited Riverside Park in Bitterne Park, parking near the White Swan at Mansbridge (better known to locals as the Mucky Duck) and walking to Bitterne Triangle and back.
It’s a smidgeon over 3 miles in total, so ideal for a Sunday afternoon stroll. [Read more…] about Another walk in another park
Most of us have heard of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-20 – when ten times the number died of the virus than had been killed in the four years of the First World War. However, I confess I was a bit hazy on the details. So, with time on my hands during the lockdown, I thought I’d find out a bit more. I was quite surprised at some of the facts – but also at how many similarities there are between the earlier pandemic and the one we are currently living through.
How long did the Spanish flu pandemic last? Just over two years – February 1918 to April 1920. [Read more…] about Another Pandemic, A Long Time Ago …
Jill Mayes has taken these lovely photos from her walk today in Chandler’s Ford.
Do you remember Fordy? It’s lovely to see some spring colours there. We wrote about Fordy before in 2016. You can read about Fordy here: Wooden Train Built by Eastleigh Men’s Shed Arrived at Chandler’s Ford Station.
Welcome to Part 2 of my new series. I’m talking to various authors about the challenges they’ve faced launching books in lockdown.
As well as sharing my experiences (see last week’s post), I’ve talked with writers from the Association of Christian Writers, Authors Reach, Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, and Bridge House Publishing/CafeLit/Chapeltown Books.
Everyone agrees 2020 was extraordinarily challenging!
But books still needed to be launched.
Looking to expand our repertoire of “walks withing five miles of home”, Mrs Chippy and I recently explored the public footpath through the Cranbury Park estate.
The Chamberlayne family of Cranbury Park once owned much of the land in what is now Eastleigh town centre. The names are preserved in the names of Cranbury and Chamberlayne Roads, and the Chamberlayne Arms pub. I think that Desborough and Nutbeem were something to do with the estate as well, but I forget what. [Read more…] about A walk in a park
From a writing viewpoint, 2020 had the benefit of:-
1. Zoom.
2. Being able to have some writing events thanks to Zoom!
The major disadvantage was the lack of our usual writing events. This was something I discussed with YA writer, Richard Hardie, last week. He has faced the challenges of the pandemic as author and publisher (see link at the bottom of this post).
But writers and publishers still had books to launch, so I thought I’d look at how authors, including me, managed this during this strange period.
A huge thanks to all of the writers taking part in this series. They have all shared fabulous insights and something that comes across from what they share here is where one way is not possible, others will be.
That is something positive from 2020 I think.
I admonished (in the nicest possible way) a friend this morning for inappropriate positioning of her mobile phone on her windscreen. As the friend was Madame Editor, she instructed me (also in the nicest possible way) to post something about it. So here goes.
The Department for Transport guidelines divide the windscreen into two areas. Zone A is “a vertical area 290 mm wide, centred on the steering wheel and contained within the swept area of the windscreen.” Zone B is the rest of the windscreen covered by the wipers. [Read more…] about How clear is your windscreen
