Knowing your onions and Shakespeare
I was gazing at the weeds in our onion bed this morning, when I wondered where the phrase “know you onions” comes from. Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable came to the rescue. It dispensed with the references to C.T. Onions, author and editor of the Shorter Oxford...
Progress with Baby Steps
When I got out of bed yesterday, my back went. It’s my own fault, I haven’t been doing my exercises as religiously as I should. I had severe back pain, probably around ten years ago. The timing was terrible, we were on a short break in Salamanca. It’s a wonderful...
Russia and the False Dmitry
Huge numbers of Boyars and commoners stormed the Kremlin on the morning of 17th May 1606. Boyars were old Russian aristocracy, one rank below a prince. Dmitry tried to flee by jumping out of a window. Unfortunately he broke his leg and staggered to a bathhouse where...
Great First Lines
I went to my third meeting of Corsham Writers on Thursday. The theme was first lines. Jeff produced a list of famous novel openings, which we took it in turns to read out. Then everyone commented. I can’t remember what they all were now. I’ve just googled great novel...
Weald, Words, Scullery, and Buttery
Words are now the tools of my trade, so they interest me. Claire and I visited the Weald and Downland Living Museum on Sunday, with our friends Angie and Frank. The museum was fabulous. It was wonderful seeing how people lived in Tudor times. I undertake a lot of...
The Spanish Armada
Family crests on a facade in Dartmouth inspired today’s post. Although I have written about Sir Anthony Standen, The Spy who Sank the Armada, I have not posted very much about the armada. Of course there were three Spanish Armadas, 1588, 1596, and 1597. The armada of...
Prologues, what’s wrong with them?
One of our friends picked up a copy of Fire and Earth from my stall at our village Christmas fete. She opened it and said, “oh a prologue! The ladies in our reading group don’t like prologues!” The wonderful Frankie Howard always started his TV comedy Up Pompeii with...
Can Britain Be Great Again?
Great Britain is the name for the island that comprises England, Wales, and Scotland. That’s why we used to compete in the Ryder Cup as Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes smaller islands such as the Isle of Wight, but not the Channel Islands. Having...
P English Literature Interview
The poet and book blogger, Peter Okonkwo, interviewed me for his YouTube channel. In the interview we talked about each of my books, the challenges I faced, and how to deal with criticism. We also covered the processes of publishing and marketing. When you’re finished...
Knowing your onions and Shakespeare
I was gazing at the weeds in our onion bed this morning, when I wondered where the phrase “know you onions” comes from. Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable came to the rescue. It dispensed with the references to C.T. Onions, author and editor of the Shorter Oxford...
Progress with Baby Steps
When I got out of bed yesterday, my back went. It’s my own fault, I haven’t been doing my exercises as religiously as I should. I had severe back pain, probably around ten years ago. The timing was terrible, we were on a short break in Salamanca. It’s a wonderful...
Russia and the False Dmitry
Huge numbers of Boyars and commoners stormed the Kremlin on the morning of 17th May 1606. Boyars were old Russian aristocracy, one rank below a prince. Dmitry tried to flee by jumping out of a window. Unfortunately he broke his leg and staggered to a bathhouse where...
Great First Lines
I went to my third meeting of Corsham Writers on Thursday. The theme was first lines. Jeff produced a list of famous novel openings, which we took it in turns to read out. Then everyone commented. I can’t remember what they all were now. I’ve just googled great novel...
Weald, Words, Scullery, and Buttery
Words are now the tools of my trade, so they interest me. Claire and I visited the Weald and Downland Living Museum on Sunday, with our friends Angie and Frank. The museum was fabulous. It was wonderful seeing how people lived in Tudor times. I undertake a lot of...
The Spanish Armada
Family crests on a facade in Dartmouth inspired today’s post. Although I have written about Sir Anthony Standen, The Spy who Sank the Armada, I have not posted very much about the armada. Of course there were three Spanish Armadas, 1588, 1596, and 1597. The armada of...
Prologues, what’s wrong with them?
One of our friends picked up a copy of Fire and Earth from my stall at our village Christmas fete. She opened it and said, “oh a prologue! The ladies in our reading group don’t like prologues!” The wonderful Frankie Howard always started his TV comedy Up Pompeii with...
Can Britain Be Great Again?
Great Britain is the name for the island that comprises England, Wales, and Scotland. That’s why we used to compete in the Ryder Cup as Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes smaller islands such as the Isle of Wight, but not the Channel Islands. Having...
P English Literature Interview
The poet and book blogger, Peter Okonkwo, interviewed me for his YouTube channel. In the interview we talked about each of my books, the challenges I faced, and how to deal with criticism. We also covered the processes of publishing and marketing. When you’re finished...