This is the second part of a fiction serial, in 790 words. Tommy Summers didn’t have to serve in the war. That was because he was alrady serving five years hard time for stabbing some old bloke in the arm during a burglary that had gone wrong. He learned a lot while he was in … C … | Continue reading
This is the first part of a fiction serial, in 830 words. George Corcoran was always called ‘Corky’ by his schoolfriends. He didn’t mind that, as it made him feel he belonged. By the time school was over for him, Britain was at war with Gemany. Too young to join up, he got a job … | Continue reading
It was a busier week than normal for us, as we had our grandson staying from Sun-Weds. The sheer energy of an 8 year-old is so tiring, even just watching him. ————————————————————————————– The weather didn’t improve, so it looks like it will be a non-summer this year. Saturday w … | Continue reading
My old friend Roland Kemp sent me other photos recently, including this one from the late 1970s that he thought ‘made me look like a gangster’. I suppose I can agree with his reasoning, but I assure you I was not remotely ‘Gangsterish’ at the time. I was living a fairly quiet lif … | Continue reading
Every so often in the past, I was attracted to a song that would not normally be the type of music I would listen to. This was the case in 1981, when I was 29 years old. I saw a band I didn’t really know perform a song on a late night music show, and … Continue reading Retro Musi … | Continue reading
I started this blog in the summer of 2012, following a suggestion from my good friend and former colleague, Antony. It was a shaky start, mostly seen by friends and family. I had never previously read or heard the phrase, ‘Thank you for sharing’. Fast-forward 11 years to my anniv … | Continue reading
Janet from https://tidalscribe.com/ sent me the following last line. I gave it some thought, and came up with a short story of 868 words. ‘As I took that final step I had achieved my lifelong ambition, but at what terrible cost to my loved ones and my country.’ Where No Man Has G … | Continue reading
This is all eleven episodes of my recent fiction serial, part of the Last Line Challenge. It is 8,517 words. Pastor Klamp took me in when my ma died. I was too young to remember her, truth be told, and nobody ever spoke about my pa. Mother Klamp was a kindly woman, her own kids … … | Continue reading
I know many of you have self-published books and shared that experience on your blog. I am dipping my toes into the water and would appreciate re-reading what your experience has been. I do not expect anyone to tutor me, but if you would leave links to any blog posts you wrote ab … | Continue reading
Originally posted on Elizabeth Gauffreau: Click/tap the cover to purchase the paperback from Amazon. My Review Our Wolves, Luanne Castle’s second poetry chapbook, offers a fresh, imaginative, and wholly original challenge to the wolf trope prevalent in Western culture, wherein wo … | Continue reading
My good friend Roland sent me a photo from many years ago, taken some time in the 1970s I believe. I am standing with his then girlfriend, Gerry, outside a shop. I have no recollection of that day, or the photo being taken, but I do have fond memories of the trenchcoat I am weari … | Continue reading
This is the final part of a fiction serial, in 878 words. Swede had some good news for us that morning. “Once we get around yonder curve, we start to descend. Not as easy as it sounds though, you’ll have to slow the horses and wagons ’cause it’s steep.” At the sharpest part of th … | Continue reading
When I logged on this morning, I checked the Admin page as usual, and found that the potential Spammers had exceeded themselves overnight. 1,500 new Spam comments! Fortunately, all had been identified by WordPress and placed in the Spam Folder, so I was able to delete them all wi … | Continue reading
This is the tenth part of a fiction serial, in 780 words. With no baby to tend to, Lotte had to take her turn walking alongside the wagon. She hadn’t talked much since Sarah had died, and her expression was sad all the time. The older women tried to console her, but she would hav … | Continue reading
On 21 October, 1966, a slag heap at Merthyr Vale colliery collapsed on to Pantglas Junior School in Aberfan village, killing 116 children and 28 adults. Dancing The Twist, 1960s. Student party in Belfast, hot pants and alcohol. Riingo Starr built a replica pub in his Surrey house … | Continue reading
This is the ninth part of a fiction serial, in 758 words. Once all the wagons and horses had been fettled, we spent our last night in the camp outside Fort John. Swede stayed in camp with us, looking sheepish like. I had a notion he had upset someone in the fort, but nobody came … | Continue reading
Due to the arrival of our grandson, along with some unexpected friends and their children, there will be no episode of ‘The Winter Of ’46’ today. Apologies. | Continue reading
No surprise that the unseasonal weather is dominating my thoughts once again. The most miserable July for many years, with rain most days, and temperatures struggling to get past March levels. Yesterday was dark all day, raining all day, and I actually felt cold! We joke here abo … | Continue reading
I keep finding them! Pulling a face, 1880. Beauty contest in Paris, 1949. A real ‘Hot Dog’, 1930s. Women posing for an amusing photo, 1930s. Trouser fashions of the 1930s. A Native American couple in traditional dress, 1912. Fashionable ladies in Paris, 1925. Young men posing in … | Continue reading
This is the eighth part of a fiction serial, in 815 words. The days merged into weeks as we trudged on. One day as Swede rode past the wagon, I called to him and asked him where we were. He spit some tobacca juice before replying. “You don’t need to know where we are, boy. … Cont … | Continue reading
This is the seventh part of a fiction serial, in 754 words. The horses were none too happy to walk onto that ferry, I can tell you. The men had raised a bar across the far end, else I reckon those horses would have walked me and the wagon straight into the river. I had … Continue … | Continue reading
In late 1971, I heard a record on the radio that didn’t really fit into any genre. For one thing, it was eight and a half minutes long, so certainly wasn’t played on the mainstream pop stations at first. And you couldn’t dance to it either. But you could definitely sing along wit … | Continue reading
This is the sixth part of a fiction serial, in 750 words. Our mood improved once the rains stopped. Ten days in, we hadn’t seen much to speak of, when we came alongside a long fence that stretched for miles. Swede had been gone since first light, so when we could see a tumbledown … | Continue reading
1980 is 43 years ago. Hard to believe, I know. So I am saying that this is suitably retro, and is also my favourite song by Stevie Wonder. Lately, I have had the strangest feeling With no vivid reason here to find Yet the thought of losing you’s been hanging ‘Round my mind Far mo … | Continue reading
English ladies pretending to smoke pipes, late 1930s. German girls on holiday with their cameras, 1930s. American ladies enjoying ice cream at a funfair, late 1940s. Two English ladies, 1950s. American girl friends, 1950s. Three English friends sporting a retro look in the 1970s. … | Continue reading
This is the fifth part of a fiction serial, in 800 words. I was wide-eyed. It was my first time away from the farm and the land we had lived on since I was born. I expected to see wonders, but all I saw was more land. Cattle ranches, farms, fences, and a rutted trail. … Continue … | Continue reading
We mainly think of exercise and gym membership as a modern phenomenon. But between 1840 and 1901, wealthy people all over Europe and America were obsessed with improving their muscle tone, and general health. Here is a selection of the contraptions they used to stay trim, perhaps … | Continue reading
This is the fourth part of a fiction serial, in 736 words. That winter of ’45 was a mild one, thankfully. Before the cold weather hit hard, Swede arrived with some men, bringing the wagons. He stayed on for a few days, making sure we knew how to hitch them just right, and drive t … | Continue reading
This is the third part of a fiction serial, in 744 words. Well, my wedding night was a revelation. Mother Schwarz must have had a serious talk with Lotte, ’cause once we got into my old bed, that girl sure knew what to do. And she did it with gusto, I can tell you. Enough … Conti … | Continue reading
As planned, we went to The Taste Of Istanbul restaurant in Dereham last night. It was quite busy for a Sunday, but we managed to get a table with no reservation. For the starter, we had the mixed hot mezze, a delicous selection of different things, including calamari, falafel, an … | Continue reading
These are the last of my photos I am posting from our trip to Pensthorpe. Julie has lots more on her phone, and I will feature some of those another time. (All the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them, which will take you to Flickr.) Geese on the grass. The Bug Hotel. Julie … | Continue reading
This is the second part of a fiction serial, in 780 words. ‘Spose I expected things were gonna happen right quick, but I was wrong about that. Planning to travel so far to Oregon meant a lot of preparation, and many meetings of the Elders and Brothers. Sometimes, they got a mite … | Continue reading
Some more photos from Tuesday’s trip to the nature reserve. These are mostly to show the scenery there, and how lush the grasses and foliage are at the moment. The photos can be enlarged by clicking on them, which will take you to Flickr. Water lilies on some still water. The enc … | Continue reading
I think we are going to have to write-off July, and lose a month from our short English summer. The weather has been ‘unpredicatable’, to say the least. Hunidity at night, some torrential rain storms, and as I type this, 55 mph winds are rattling everything in Beetley. At least t … | Continue reading
My friend Antony sent me this film, which has a running time of less than two minutes. It is set during the pandemic lockdowns, and I think most of us can identify with it. | Continue reading
Despite a very dull day when we visited Pensthorpe Wetland Nature Reserve last Tuesday, I took lots of photos anyway. Having scrapped some because they were too dark, and a few because of focusing issues with the moving birds, I have enough left for some posts. Here is the first … | Continue reading
Carolyn from https://catsincambridge.net/ sent me the following last line. I have written a short serial based on it. This is part one, in 700 words. ‘I shuddered at the memory it provoked, suddenly chilled to the bone. And I stepped back inside’. Pastor Klamp took me in when my … | Continue reading
My thanks to fellow blogger Phil Huston for sending me a link to some more historical photos. Here are some from that selection, with more to follow another time. London, 1898. Workmen constructing the Central Line of the Underground Railway. Shirley Slade, a 22 year-old American … | Continue reading
As Robert Burns wrote in 1785, ‘The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men Gang aft agley’. With Julie not working this week, we came up with a few ideas to spend time together. Tuesday turned out well enough, with the visit to Pensthorpe Nature Reserve. The weather didn’t cooperate t … | Continue reading
Julie has a week off work this week. Today we went to Pensthorpe Wetlands Country Park in Fakenham. Front Page We are out again tomorrow, and on Thursday too. So you are getting a break from my posts. And I am sure that some of you will welcome that, as I am aware that I … Contin … | Continue reading
I don’t, but if you do you might be interested in this You Tube video from Daniel White. He is testing various guitar picks to find the best ones. | Continue reading
Phil Huston is an American writer and blogger. His work can be found on his site using this link. https://philh52.wordpress.com/ He has sent me this story, one with a deliciously American feel. Gator Bait Carrie Louise screamed a split second before the shotgun blast. Birds explo … | Continue reading
The British author Terry Tyler has an excellent promotion running at the moment, but be quick, as it doesn’t last long. FREE from the the 9th -12th of July only. – T I P P I N G P O I N T – Book 1 #PostApocalyptic Series https://bookgoodies.com/a/B07C9ZWHCN Over 250 x 5* reviews … | Continue reading
The ability of our brains to store so much random stuff has long fascinated me. I know that my PC probably has more storage and ROM than my brain, but you have to ‘ask’ it something for a computer to disclose its knowledge. The human brain does the opposite, presenting things to … | Continue reading
You can never have too many cameras! A lampshade hat? Wear your camera instead of holding it. Combining photography, reading, and exercise. Changing your record the hard way. Using whatever is available to make that call. Skating your books back to the library. Off on holiday on … | Continue reading
Marina is a Greek blogger, artist, and writer. You can discover her work here. https://athensletters.com/ She has sent me a Flash Fiction short story, which I am sure you will enjoy. Chagrin d’amour Felicity banged her fist on the table with such force, she thought she heard a bo … | Continue reading
This is a photo of my mum when she was 15 years old, in 1939. WW2 was only a couple of months away, and her life in London would be changed beyond recognition. If she was alive today, it would be her 99th birthday. Sadly, she died in 2012, aged 87. She worked from the … Continue … | Continue reading
I have published a separate post about my mum today. ————————————————————————————— The weather this week has been all over the place. Temperatures ranging from just 16C (61F) to a peak of 31C (88F) on Saturday. We have had cold winds, warm breezes, thunderstorms, and one day of t … | Continue reading