An avenue of apple trees outside Gilroy Allotments.   Sign encouraging people to freely enjoy future apple harvests!   Gilroy Allotment site, a thriving community project.   Gilroy Nature Park, a few short steps from the allotments.   Click on the pictures to view them larger.      A new avenue of apple trees lines the narrow public footpath which leads from Gilroy Road in West Kirby, Wirral, and passes the Gilroy Road Community Allotments site and the entrance to Gilroy Nature Park.  The young trees are of mixed varieties, supported by stout wooden posts, and have been planted on both sides of the path.   There is a large sign, shaped like apple leaves, which declares:  "Incredible Edible!  When ripe feel free to pick some fruit!"  Another 'leaf' on the sign reads:  "The apple avenue is an invitation to consider where our food comes from and how we can reduce our food miles, encourage locally grown and and support independe

  Introducing Morgen Bailey!   Today, I'm joined by Morgen Bailey, who has agreed to share some writing tips.  At Riverside Writers, new members often ask about the best ways to go about learning their craft, having been left bewildered by a huge array of 'how to' books which trot out vast lists of Dos and Don'ts.  Here, Morgen keeps things simple.   Based in Northamptonshire, England, Morgen Bailey is a prolific blogger, podcaster, editor/critiquer, Chair of NWG (which runs the annual H.E. Bates Short Story Competition ), Head Judge for the NLG Flash Fiction Competition and creative writing tutor for her local council. She is also a freelance author of numerous ‘dark and light’ short stories, novels, articles, and very occasional dabbler of poetry. Like her, her blog, http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com , is consumed by all things literary. She is also active on Twitter , Facebook along with many others (listed on her blog’s Contact page ). She als

On June 9th, The Daily Mail published an article by Tom Leonard with the title, "Three senior Oxford University academics will pay to be deep frozen when they die so they could one day be 'brought back to life'".  This article was also published on Iol .  Thanks go to John de Rivaz for passing on these links via the Yahoo! newsgroup for Cryonics Europe . The Daily Ma il article attracted 300+ comments, many of which were negative dismissals of the potential of cryonics.  As expected, many of these comments were based on inaccurate beliefs, such as cryo-patients being frozen in ice, or of cryonics being a money-making scam. The Cryonics Institute is a non-profit making organisation.  It's annual finances are published for all to view.  Its directors are elected by the institute's own members. Patients are subjected first to a profusion then a vitrification process, which greatly reduces tissue damage from ice crystals, before being stored in liquid n

Emily and Poppi, June 2013. After a run of hot days, it's fair to declare that summer has finally arrived.  Not to worry, the solstice is less than two weeks away, and it's almost a tradition that it pours with rain then. As can be seen in the photo, our rhubarb is growing well.  In the black tub, to one side of the photo, is a small crop of garlic which isn't doing so well - the spindly leaves look yellowy, so I am wondering if the sun's been too fierce for them.  This morning Richard and I went swimming again.  We're really getting into this, and had a lot of fun today.  I won the race!!!   There was only the two of us in the race, and he does have impaired breathing capacity...but it's the principle.  I won, I won!  This is also the first time in my entire life that I've ever won any race, come to think of it.  I was always hopeless at sports back in my school and college days - partly due to a total lack in interest in discovering who can run r

The Grumpets! ISBN: 9781301565078 ASIN: B00D3JB0CW (for Kindle) Published Today! Grumpets are shy creatures who live in compost heaps.   At any moment of any day, wilting flowers, mouldy cabbage leaves or faded roses might tumble down upon them. But the heap can be a dangerous place. Grumpets have to keep alert for horrible Slimers.   And the dreaded Time of Turning…. Introducing a new species, one which even the mighty Sir David Attenborough has, as yet, overlooked!  Grumpets are, (as the above book blurb suggests), rather shy and retiring by nature, and they spend much of their time burrowing within warm, snug compost heaps.  They can be found in many gardens but it is unlikely, unless you keep a sharp eye out and know what you're looking for, that you will have spotted them. The Grumpets is a short fantasy story for children, though it may well appeal to 'children' of all ages.  This foray into children's fiction is a new av

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It seems I've now finished my NVQ Level 3 in Customer Care.  I write "seems" as no-one from the college has told me this in person.  I received the news second-hand, albeit from a reliable source.  I arrived at work this morning, on my day off, to meet my new tutor at 9am as arranged, only to learn she'd already left.  She'd arrived at 8.45am and stayed all of two minutes, so I was told, and she briefly informed a colleague who has been taking a similar NVQ that we'd both now completed the course.    So what happens next?  Apparently my ring-binder containing all my course work will be set before an assessor for evaluation.  Whether the college keeps it or if I get it back at some point has not been explained.  I only learned this much from someone who has done an NVQ before.   Will a certificate arrive at some point?  I have no idea as, again, no-one from the college bothered to inform me.  This comes after two months of silence from the college fol

Emily & Poppi playing King of the Castle Cushion.     This is the last day of my week's annual leave so I'll be making the most of the sunshine as soon as I've typed this, and will get some more gardening done.  I've cleared two borders of weeds and planted three small rosemary shrubs and a broom which I'd grown from cuttings.  There's plenty more work to be done, of course, but that's the nature of all gardens.   This week I've written the first draft of The Grumpets , which could be described as a small book for small children of all ages.  This is the first childrens' story I've ever written.  I never intended to write for children, but then I had this crazy idea about little creatures called Grumpets...  I have no idea how children or adults will react to it; I've not even shared it at Riverside Writers yet.  The idea had been tacked to the wall next to my PC for at least six months, so this week I decided to take a brea

Today I did something which I've not done for thirty years or more.  As I'd expected, I was spectacularly out of practise but it was definitely fun and I have every intention of repeating the experience.  Richard joined in, too, which made it even more fun. I'm talking about swimming, of course.  When I was a child, our family group swam on most Sundays.  We had a circuit of different pools which we'd go to - Warrington Baths was a favourite, though it has since been demolished, as has Leigh Baths which we also used. Dad would never swim; he hated the very idea, and the most I ever recall him doing was paddling in ankle-deep sea water in Cornwall, his trousers rolled up to his knees.  Mum loved swimming.  One time, she decided to try doing the butterfly stroke.  At least, that's what she insisted it was after the lifeguard's whistle had emptied the pool and she'd been rescued.  How was he to know that the plumes of frantic splashing erupting either sid

Emily and Poppi inspecting this morning's snow.     It was not my intention to photograph my dog's derriere, however this is the best of this morning's three quick snapshots.  Two seconds later, both dogs had sprinted back inside having already had quite enough of cold paws thank you very much.   I've been busy finishing off several projects, including an NVQ Level 3 in Customer Care which is now 98% complete.  It would have been finished entirely if my tutor hadn't resigned last week, which means I now have to wait for another to be employed by the college.  I'm not best pleased, as I'd like to have the course over and done with, but these things happen.  I've also been doing another job-related course, which is now two-thirds complete.   On the writing front, I'm currently working on a piece destined for Riverside Writers' forthcoming anthology of short stories and poetry set in a fictional apartment block in Liverpool city cen

If you're wondering why the ticket, pictured above, calls last night's event at Bebington Library "Valentine Stories" even though it's nearly a month late, it's because the original booking was delayed, apparently.  The event brought together members of four of Wirral's writing groups:  Riverside Writers , Wirral Writers , 3Ls and Ace of Scribes, (who don't seem to have a website). Once the good-sized audience had settled down with glasses of red or white wine, or orange juice, and a plate offering sliced Swiss roll and little sponge cakes had done the rounds, the readings began - and the next two hours were filled by a diverse and interesting collection of stories and poetry. Fellow members of Riverside Writers, Tim Hulme and Peter Hurd, both read stories.  Tim's also a member of the 3Ls, so he already knew many of the people there.  My contribution to the evening was Sally , a 1,000 word urban fantasy/comtemporary fiction piece which

You may be interested to hear about a new avenue for self-publishing, this time for comics and graphic novels.  A company called comiXology invite people to submit their work for consideration - probably so the company can maintain good standards of art work and scripts.  Their FAQs state the submission process is free, and accepted works are paid 50% of the net profit on each sale, once a $100 threshold has been reached, (which is similar to Amazon's threshold).  Authors/creators retain their copyrights, so they can sell their work elsewhere also. Considering that, in the past, selling self-published comics and graphic novels tended to be limited to friends, comic expos (if you could afford a table!) or a bit of shelf space in a willing local shop, then comiXology sounds like a great opportunity for those whose art folios are already bursting at the seams with largely unseen work.

On Thursday 7th (tomorrow), I'll be amongst a group of writers who'll be reading some of their work to an audience at Bebington Library, Wirral.  Two other members of Riverside Writers, Tim Hulme and Peter Hurd, will also be taking part but I have no further details about who else might be. If I'm not mistaken, the event has been organised by the 3Ls .  I think the event starts at 7.30pm, and I have no idea if there's an entry fee.  My apologies for the rather vague information, but it's all I have!

Blackbird hunting for worms     This afternoon I tackled the half-moon shaped flowerbed located beside the entrance to the grove.  It was badly overgrown, so the first job was to remove the dry remnants of assorted wildflowers and the rapidly-growing spring weeds.  Before any ardent conservationist throws a wobbly, I'll point out that all the wildfowers came from commercial packets of seeds, and last year's seeds have already either done their own thing or are sitting in a shallow dish on the kitchen window sill.   Meawhile, nearby, Richard was wrestling with the sawn-down stump of a Robinia pseudoacacia, a lovely tree whose oval leaves turn an attractive golden colour in autumn.  Unfortunately it also has thorns the size of rhino horns, and we were fed up of being lacerated each time we mowed the lawn.  We had tried pruning it back hard for several years with mixed success and much spillage of blood. Verdict:  a gorgeous tree, in the wrong place.    So I resc

Apparently, the New York Public Library has spent $1million USD on ebooks and is planning a major re-design of the old building which will create large, airy spaces, a cafe, and remove old and hardly-used books to stacks in the basement. Closer to home, Liverpool Central Library is already undergoing a major structural overhaul, which promises to look amazing once finished and I'm looking forward to seeing it re-open. Wirral Libraries are also changing.  In their draft strategy  for the future, they write, "The Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport quotes a decline in the number of visits to library premises of around 25% over a 16 year period, and a steady decline in the loans of adults’ books over the decade prior to 2008/9 by more than a third." It goes on to define the library service as: "4 .1 - Wirral library is a friendly, accessible place that provides a safe, trusted and welcoming resource aimed at meeting the needs of the local commu

I filmed this on my Kodak EasyShare C340 camera on a grey and blustery but pleasant day earlier this week.  The place looks different again in summer, and with a different quality of light.  In the summer, when the beach is plastered with sun-worshippers, or when the marina is in use for various watersports, there's another atmosphere altogether.  But I like the place when it's nearly deserted...  Anyway, the video shows one of the locations from Rowan: An Artisan-Sorcerer Story, and it pans round to show Little Eye, Middle Eye and Hilbre Island which feature in several of my stories.  I don't suppose it really matters if a reader can view real-life footage of a place used in fiction but it can be fun all the same.  And besides, I enjoy tinkering with my camera. Meet Alice!  She's the newest addition to my small collection of dolls.  She was made by Pedigree sometime in the 1950's, which means she's classed as vintage rather than as an antique.  Her litt

Stapledon Woods, West Kirby, Wirral  Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby, Wirral.      It's snowing.  It's winter, so that's not so unusual.  From the media fuss, however, a person might imagine that the wintry weather had come unexpectedly despite this being January, and despite January often being the coldest month of any year here in England.  It's not that cold really - the pond in Gilroy Nature Park isn't even frozen at the edges.   I've made a start on a new cross-stitch, using 24-count black Aida.  It's ages since I've done any cross-stitch!  I got thoroughly fed up with counted cross-stitch as it's tedious constantly having to count the coded squares on the chart then count the holes on the Aida to know where to stitch.  Fiddle to that!  Never again.  This time I wanted to create a cross-stitch peacock, so I bought some Aida off eBay, took a few photos of peacocks from Google Images, then used a loose running stitch in a con

I opened the pantry door and selected two dog-chew hats, one each for Emily and Poppi.  Emily pounced on hers immediately, but Poppi hadn't seen one before - so far as I know - and so she was more cautious.  She soon got the idea, though, as can be seen in this very short video.  For some reason, all the shadows have an unfortunate yellow-ochre cast which makes both Poppi and duvet look grubby.  Maybe this was caused by me filming under an electric light?  Both the dog and duvet are very clean, in actuality.  Anyway, apart from that technical glitch, I hope the video makes you smile. The year has got off to a promising start for Spooky Cute Designs , as my online store has just been awarded Pro-Seller status.  Yay for me!  So, thank you to all those people who've treated themselves to a little something from Spooky Cute Designs!  And I've recently added a new product range, so if you're fond of jigsaw puzzles then feel free to discover what is available so far. R

Submissions are invited for Riverside Writers' 3rd anthology of short stories and poems which will be published as a free ebook in 2013. This will be edited by Adele Cosgrove-Bray. Poetry and short stories of any genre, set in a fictional apartment building in Liverpool's Ropewalks area. Rich characters, plenty of action and drama, romance and humour against the realism of Liverpool life are all welcome.  No 1960's clichés, please. For full details, visit Riverside Writers blog  here .

Announcing the ten lucky winner of the recent competition to win a free ebook copy of Rowan:  An Artisan-Sorcerer Story! The winners were: Karen Molyneux Morgan Eckstein Susan Hughes Lesley Howard JG Browne Marie Partington Nerys Evans Colin Seaton A Fernandez Janice McDonald Each winner has already received their copy.  Thank you for taking part, and I hope you enjoy the novel. Watch this pace for future competitions!

In this post from last year, I presented a list of goals which  I aimed to achieve in 2012.  These were: Publish 2nd poetry collection - DONE! Publish 2nd short story collection - DONE! Publish Rowan - DONE! Plus the next in the Artisan-Sorcerer series, Bethany Rose , was published. Write one short story per month (minimum) - I wrote shorts during only 6 months. Write one poem per month (minimum) - I wrote poems during only 8 months. Publish a free ebook (possibly with Riverside Writers) - DONE!  Complete 1st draft of Fabian - No, still underway. Add one new design to Spooky Cute Designs per month (minimum) - 8 months saw new designs, but there were more than one new design for some months. In addition to the above, I re-released two ebook collections which had previously been published by Amazon Shorts; published a collection of short Artisan-Sorcerer stories, Intimations , and changed all the covers on the Artisan-Sorcerer novels.  I also undertook three job-related co