The algid sky is doing its utmost to remind me that January is still winter. The weekend, however, saw us enjoying a long walk over Caldy Hill. The dogs love it up there; there’s so much for them to sniff at! It’s a wonder their little noses aren’t worn out… A whole world is available to them which we’re oblivious to. Riverside Writers met last night, and a lively evening it was too, with three new members joining us. January’s writing project had been set on the theme of ‘the diamond wristwatch’, and as always everyone had produced completely different work, including a smattering of poems – unusual for our group, as poets are thin on the ground. Over the weekend, Richard managed to plant most of the climbing roses, which we’ll train up the new trellis fence. There is room enough for more roses yet. I do like roses, particularly the perfumed varieties. Plus they’re tough plants which can withstand Wirral’s microclimate, which ranges from baking heat in summer to tearing oceanic ga...

Do we want a huge hotel complex built on the West Kirby waterfront? One of the things I like best about living in West Kirby is its tranquil village atmosphere. Chester, Birkenhead and Liverpool and close enough should broader shopping or theatres or similar be required. But here we have a precious haven from that faster pace of life. That’s how locals like it. That’s why people come to live here. Some teenagers might grumble that there’s nothing much for them to do, and certainly the traffic can be surprisingly heavy for a small place. But the beaches, woodlands and parks easily balance this out, and our low crime rate is another attraction for many residents, who often heave a sigh of relief when the main tourist season is over and we can have “our” village and beach back again. Local shops no doubt benefit from the influx of summer visitors, but this hotel is to have a shopping complex built on its ground floor. This will bring more competition to the already struggling local ...

The administrative team of this year’s Preditors & Editors Readers Poll have alerted me to the fact that my short story, Seagull Inn has been nominated! I am totally surprised by this! People have until midnight tonight (Jan 15th) to cast their votes. To vote for my story, visit:- http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstorysf.shtml where the entries are listed by alphabetical order of title. To vote for me as an author, visit:- http://www.critters.org/predpoll/author.shtml As you may recall, Seagull Inn featured in an anthology titled Ruins Terra , edited by Eric T Reynolds and published last year by Hadley Rille Books.

On Friday 4th, I attended a supporters' event at the new Echo Arena in Liverpool. Due to my role as an ambassador for the city throughout its status as the European Capital of Culture 2008 , I had been invited, along with other ambassadors and volunteers, for a preview of the building. Several local bands, including Major Major, Forsaken and The Farm, performed on stage, with local radio DJ Pete Price introducing both them and braving the mic to sing When you Walk Through a Storm – a rather clichéd choice, in my opinion. This event enabled the arena staff to have a dry run prior to its official opening celebrations. While the plain interior is entirely utilitarian, this new arena can seat 10,000 people, and will herald a new era of entertainment in Liverpool, which apparently boasts the fastest growing economy of any other British city. However, a cardinal crime was committed by the catering, which ran out of milk. No milk for my cup of tea? Bah! Sooooo, what else is new…....

A busy day, yesterday. I spent much of it in Liverpool, wandering around the elegant Met Quarter with my mother. It’s not a particularly extensive designer shopping mall but we weren’t in a hurry to brave the sub-zero temperatures outside. We entertained ourselves by poking fun at spectacularly hideous party dresses. I still don’t see why a designer label warrants such silly prices, when the garment doesn’t look much different from high street merchandise. Certainly the quality of sewing or fabrics weren’t noticeably better. It was rather amusing, however, to see an old acquaintance of mine scowling dramatically from a huge photo in Guess ’s window...! We wandered into Mathew Street and had coffee in the John Lennon Café . There was only one other group of customers in there, but the coffee was good.  Mum's flying out to Australia soon where she'll be for three months, visiting various relatives. From there, we headed to the Christmas Market in Williamson Square. The fou...