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books

Richard Hardie: “So You Want to be an Author?”

October 29, 2015 By Ben Williams 12 Comments

At the Chandler’s Ford library today I attended an author talk by Richard Hardie: “So you want to be an author?”.

Richard is a Chandler’s Ford author who has written two books in the Temporal Detective Agency series – Leap of Faith and Trouble in Mind. He talked to us about being a writer and good writing tips. [Read more…] about Richard Hardie: “So You Want to be an Author?”

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Tags: blogging, books, Chandler's Ford Library, education, event, library, literature, local interest, publishing, reading, review, writing

Things to Do during October Half Term in Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh Town Centre

October 25, 2015 By Janet Williams 3 Comments

Yes the October half term holiday is upon us. What’s your plan?

First, the coffin has arrived!

What am I talking about? The coffin has now arrived at Ritchie Hall ready for the Chameleon Theatre Company’s new production, Dracula. [Read more…] about Things to Do during October Half Term in Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh Town Centre

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Tags: books, Chameleon Theatre, Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Library, crafts, Eastleigh, Eastleigh Borough Council, Eastleigh Museum, education, entertainment, event, library, local interest, publishing, reading, theatre, writing

From Dancer to Writer: Felicity Fair Thompson

October 23, 2015 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Chandler’s Ford Today covers a wide spectrum of interests – from football to gliding, from local history to reviews of shows in nearby theatres and Thornden Hall.  From memories of the Gang Show to news of the latest fundraising efforts by the Scouts and the Fairtrade events.

Naturally a blog like this will attract writers.  People like Richard Hardie, whose young adult Temporal Detective Series (Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords), will be highlighted in Chandler’s Ford library next Thursday 29th October. People like Brenda Sedgwick whose first novel, Marriage, a Journey and a Dog, was out earlier this year. [Read more…] about From Dancer to Writer: Felicity Fair Thompson

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Tags: arts and crafts, blogging, books, history, interview, Isle of Wight, literature, reading, review, travel, war memorial, writing

A Lucky Dip – Halloween Giveaways!

October 12, 2015 By Janet Williams 4 Comments

Come and join five authors of the paranormal, crime, horror, and young adult fantasy for a blockbusting Halloween book giveaway event, running from 18th October to 1st November 2015.

Chandler’s Ford based author, Richard Hardie, invites young readers to join him and four of his fellow authors for a special Halloween celebration. [Read more…] about A Lucky Dip – Halloween Giveaways!

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Tags: books, Chandler's Ford Library, education, event, library, local interest, publishing, reading, writing

Review: Station Walks Book

September 18, 2015 By Allison Symes 7 Comments

Station Walks

This post reviews Station Walks by Dr. Clare Diaper.  I discovered this book thanks to an earlier Chandler’s Ford Today post and am glad to say it is a delight to read and a greater joy to use.

The book is supported by the Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership, My Journey and Transition Southampton.  Their details are given at the front of the book. [Read more…] about Review: Station Walks Book

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Tags: books, Chandler’s Ford community, charity, community, days out, Eastleigh, local interest, news, reading, recommendations, review, Southampton, Station Lane, Three Rivers, train station, travel, walking, writing

Richard Hardie’s Book Writing Fun at Chandler’s Ford Library

August 30, 2015 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

Chandler’s Ford author Richard Hardie will be signing copies of his Young Adult novels, Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords, at Chandler’s Ford Library.

Richard Hardie will be hosting two sessions on Thursday, 29th October.  The first one will be between 10.30 and 12 noon and is called Let’s Write A Book.  This session is aimed at 10 to 12 year olds. [Read more…] about Richard Hardie’s Book Writing Fun at Chandler’s Ford Library

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Tags: book signing, books, Chandler's Ford Library, education, event, library, local interest, publishing, reading, writing

Gill James: Top Tips to Writers’ Networking

August 29, 2015 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

This post continues from yesterday’s article where Gill James shared some of her thoughts on life as a creative writing lecturer and author.

Gill gave me my first publishing credit via Alternative Renditions, a Bridge House anthology, and I have since had other work published online and in Limerick Nation and The Shamblelurklers Return. I’m currently working on a short story collection. [Read more…] about Gill James: Top Tips to Writers’ Networking

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Tags: blogging, books, education, interview, publishing, reading, writing

Gill James: Teaching Writing

August 28, 2015 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

Earlier this year, I posted my interview with Gill James who as author, creative writing lecturer and small publisher gave me my first break into publication with my short story, A Helping Hand, when it appeared in the Bridge House Publishing anthology, Alternative Renditions. [Read more…] about Gill James: Teaching Writing

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Best of Chandler’s Ford Today: Top 12 Theatre Reviews

August 26, 2015 By Janet Williams Leave a Comment

Chandler’s Ford Today has published nearly 800 posts in two and a half years.

Today’s summary post celebrates local theatre reviews written by Chandler’s Ford writers. [Read more…] about Best of Chandler’s Ford Today: Top 12 Theatre Reviews

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Tags: arts and crafts, books, Centrestage Theatre, Chameleon Theatre, Chandler's Ford, community, education, entertainment, event, Hursley Road, local interest, MDG Players, Methodist Church, review, Ritchie Memorial Hall, social, theatre, Thornden Hall, Thornden School, Winchester Road, writing

My Top 10 Terry Pratchett Characters

August 14, 2015 By Allison Symes 8 Comments

What is the best thing about fiction for you? The plot? The characters?

For me, the characters are everything.  The best plot in the world will fail unless it has the characters to “run” with it.

Do you prefer stand alone novels or a series? [Read more…] about My Top 10 Terry Pratchett Characters

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Tags: arts and crafts, books, leisure, literature, reading, review, Terry Pratchett, writing

Top 10 Reasons to Love Books

August 7, 2015 By Allison Symes 17 Comments

I have loved books, especially fiction, since I was very young.

My mother taught me how to read but was told off for it by teachers when I started school because she hadn’t done it in the correct way. I think these days she’d probably be given a medal. Mind, with all the issues in the news recently, I sometimes wonder how any of us of a certain age ever made it through the 1970s! [Read more…] about Top 10 Reasons to Love Books

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Tags: architecture, blogging, books, Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Library, leisure, literature, reading, review, writing

My Favourite Fairytales

July 31, 2015 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

When I was very young, my father gave me The Reader’s Digest of Fairy Tales. These were in two hardback volumes and contained the original versions of the classic stories.

I still have these books, which are bound up with tape to stop them falling apart, as I couldn’t tell you how often I read them. There are also wonderful illustrations of the characters. [Read more…] about My Favourite Fairytales

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Tags: blogging, books, leisure, literature, reading, review, writing

My Desert Island Books

July 24, 2015 By Allison Symes 8 Comments

There are many Radio 4 shows I love but I am especially fond of Desert Island Discs.  My only problem with it is I would want to take at least 8 books with me to the fictional island, as well as the pieces of music.  Since I can’t arrange that, I thought I would share what I love most about stories and list some of my favourites.

One of the first things I pack when getting ready for going on holiday is at least one good book (I also take The Good Book but that’s another matter!).

A good story, whether it is a full length novel or a shorter piece, stays with you long after you have finished reading it.

Writers are lucky here as if it is their story. They get the pleasure of writing it (and reading it first!).

[Read more…] about My Desert Island Books

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Review: Les Misérables by Barton Peveril College

July 1, 2015 By chippy minton 6 Comments

Last week (Thursday to Saturday) Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh performed Les Misérables School EditionTM at the Theatre Royal Winchester.

If you are a fan of Les Misérables and concerned that the “schools edition” might be a dumbed-down version, let me reassure you – it isn’t. The adaptation contains all the passion and power of the original. [Read more…] about Review: Les Misérables by Barton Peveril College

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Tags: arts and crafts, Barton Peveril College, books, Chandler's Ford, community, Eastleigh, education, entertainment, event, local interest, review, school, theatre, Winchester, writing

Inspired by Slapton Beach: Felicity Fair Thompson

June 26, 2015 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

One of the great joys of fiction writing is you have two basic options which are to either invent it all or base your work on a real event.  You can be said to be writing history.

Historical novels obviously fall into the second category (as do some crime books). One of my favourite books, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, is based on The Princes in the Tower mystery. [Read more…] about Inspired by Slapton Beach: Felicity Fair Thompson

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Tags: arts and crafts, blogging, books, history, interview, Isle of Wight, literature, reading, review, travel, war memorial, writing

Station Walks Book Launch

June 23, 2015 By SO53 News 3 Comments

Station Walks

Station Walks Guide – a 88 page guide including 38 walks from local railway stations – will be launched this weekend.

The book contains 2 walks from Chandler’s Ford.

The Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership [Read more…] about Station Walks Book Launch

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Tags: books, Chandler's Ford Railway Station, Chandler’s Ford community, charity, community, Eastleigh, local interest, news, reading, Southampton, Station Lane, Three Rivers, train station, travel, walking, writing

What’s Your Story? Gill James

June 12, 2015 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

What’s your story?

It can be difficult for a fiction writer to answer that. We have lots of stories from our tales of how we develop as authors (with hopefully increasing numbers of publishing credits) to each of the actual works we invent and rigorously edit before they see the light of day. [Read more…] about What’s Your Story? Gill James

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Tags: arts and crafts, blogging, books, Chandler's Ford, interview, literature, reading, review, travel, writing

Author, Publisher, Reader – A Golden Thread

May 26, 2015 By Mike Sedgwick 2 Comments

It is said that everyone has a book in them. Some will write one and a few will even publish.

Publishing is changing fast but the constant among the changes is preservation of the magical golden thread that connects the imagination of the writer to the mind of the reader. [Read more…] about Author, Publisher, Reader – A Golden Thread

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Life as a Small Publisher: Allison Symes Talks to Felicity Fair Thompson

May 15, 2015 By Allison Symes 8 Comments

Interview Felicity Thompson

I met Felicity Fair Thompson of Wight Diamond Press at the Isle of Wight Weekend Writers’ Conference, which she ran from 2000 to 2005. The conferences were held in Sandown.

I also met Gill James, later of Bridge House Publishing, at one of these conferences and she became the publisher for my first accepted short story, A Helping Hand in the anthology, Alternative Renditions. Wheels within wheels so to speak… [Read more…] about Life as a Small Publisher: Allison Symes Talks to Felicity Fair Thompson

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Tags: arts and crafts, blogging, books, interview, Isle of Wight, literature, reading, review, travel, Winchester, writing

Alfie Dog Fiction Competition

May 8, 2015 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Calling all writers in and around Chandler’s Ford with details of a fiction competition!

I have sent in details of the latest Short Story competition Alfie Dog Fiction is advertising.

You can find out some of my short stories in my Fairytales with Bite website. [Read more…] about Alfie Dog Fiction Competition

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Tags: arts and crafts, blogging, books, Chandler’s Ford community, hobby, literature, writing
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