Small but perfectly formed ...... Linda Mitchelmore

No, that's not me small but perfectly formed but the writing group I belong to, Brixham Writers. There are just a dozen of us and as the room we use at Brixham Library is very small it suits us perfectly. We meet once a week from September until the end of May and then in June, July, and August we meet in whoever wants to host the meeting in their home. Cake is obligatory. We have 'homework' set every week but can bring 'work-in-progress' to read out if we prefer. Not all of us attend every meeting. So .... the twelve members. We are all published in some way - short stories, journalism, novels, letters-to-editors (often the hardest thing to get published!), poetry, radio plays, memoirs. The group has been going for thirty years or so and Anne Goring is a founder member. Anne is the lynch-pin who holds us all together but we diplomatically take it in turns to be in the chair each week. Anne has had many historical novels published, radio plays, and she also writes short stories. Anne's books are borrowed from libraries. Here's one of them.

Our newest member is Margaret Mason, who has two novels on the go under her pen-name, Rosina Farley. Margaret is a published poet and brings a dash of academia to the meetings. John Rossiter is also a long-time member. John is unusual in that he has been in all the armed forces - army, navy, and airforce. His memoirs are often very amusing and very non-PC these days but in context of the times they are just right. John also treads the boards and has an Equity card and has appeared as an extra in films. Hannelore Mackenzie is German and is the absolute 'homework' star as she always does it. Hannelore's sister-in-law, Brenda Mackenxie, has written many travel articles for many different publications. Brenda also had her first novel published round about the same time she called cards with an 8 and 0 on them. How good is that!

Now then, you could be forgiven for thinking we are all of a certain age. But we're not. We have Ian Carr who is a mere boy in his early forties and whose first novel, Sons of Natal, was published last year. Ian has a second novel almost finished. Ian is on the town council so he attends meetings when he can.

But it is Catherine Billing who is the baby of our group. Catherine is in her early twenties and a very loyal, almost every meeting, attendee. Catherine has seen her work published in Writing Magazine. Her first book, Into Eden, written under her pen-name of Cate Frances, is a memoir about her travels in the Grand Canyon. Champagne is on ice as Catherine's book is due out very soon, and being published by Breakwater Press. Art students at our local college have done the cover art work for this book.

Sandra Woolfenden is a name readers of Take-A-Break, My Weekly, and various other women's magazines might recognize as she's had hundreds of short stories published, many of them back in the day when magazines like True Romances were very popular. Michelle Heatley is our techie expert. We all need one. Well, I need one! Michelle's wonderful book, Fish Soup, was well received and she has another couple - if not three - novels on the go. As I write, Michelle is putting an anthology of the groups' short stories together. The cover is being worked on (by Catherine's college friends again).

And now our very high-profile and best-selling member, Kate Furnivall. It's a truism that if you want something done ask a busy person. Kate is never too busy to help group members with advice, or contacts, or to cast her eye over something a member has written and would like an opinion on, even though she often has the tightest of deadlines. Kate's books have been translated into umpteen languages, and we love to hear about her lunches in London with agents and editors and publishers and all the swish parties at writing at that high end of the market involves. Something to which to aspire indeed. Kate has also had contemporary novels published under her married name of Kate Sharam. Kate's latest historical novel is The Liberation.

Carole Llewellyn - even though she now lives in Spain and is sorely missed for her vivacity, her immaculate and glamorous dress-sense, and her musical Welsh voice - pops in from time to time when she is back in Blighty. Carole is a short story writer and has also had historical romances published. Oh to be sitting by a pool in the sunshine as Carole does to do my writing.

And then there's me ...... enough about me! I can't imagine life without my Brixham Writer pals now .... they crack the whip to keep my pen on the paper!

IGNITING OUR PASSION by Victoria Cornwall

This week has been a busy time for me. At the beginning of the week I took part in the St.Ives Literary Festival and at the end of the week I was in London attending the Romantic Novelists' Association's Summer Party as I (and my debut novel The Thief's Daughter) was a contender for the RNA's Joan Hessayon Award. I enjoyed the events immensely as they both involve my passion for fiction.

Books have always played a major role in my life. My mother read to me as a child until I graduated to being able to read to myself. Like most British children, I learnt to read through the use of the Ladybird's Key Words Reading Scheme which was used by British primary schools throughout the 60s and 70s. Specially designed for children, the 36 small hard-backed, illustrated books used a reduced vocabulary to help children learn to read and, for some, built the foundation of a love for books that would last for the rest of their lives. However, there was one book in particular which turned on a light-bulb in my head and made me aware that reading a book could be quite magical. In other words, it ignited my passion for reading.

Charlotte's Web, by E.B.White was the first book I borrowed from the junior section of my primary school's library, which was quite a memorable occasion in itself. It was also my first novel, again another first. I proudly took it home and devoured every page.  For the first time I felt quite grown-up as I read the story to myself ... no more reading out loud to practice my reading skills for me!

I loved Charlotte's Web. I identified with the setting (I also lived on a farm) and the little heroine called Fern, however this farm was very different to my own. In Charlotte's Web, the animals could speak, had personalities and faced great hurdles. I experienced a range of emotions as I followed Wilbur and Charlotte's story and I still have a vivid memory of holding it in my hand, when I was about to return it to the library shelf, and thinking how amazing a good book could be. It was truly magical and, on that day, my love of books began in earnest.

I asked my fellow contributors on the Novel Points of View blog to share their light-bulb moment and here are the books they shared with me.

Gill Stewart

I’ve chosen Enid Blyton’s ‘Those Dreadful Children’ as my light-bulb book. We had a tattered old hardback edition which I loved and read over and over again. I think what was special about it was that it made me realise that different people saw the same things in different ways. That was a real wow! moment – and a very useful one for a future writer.

In this book, a harum-scarum family move in next door to a prim and proper family. Both sets of children think the others are ‘those dreadful children’. And, as a reader, you can see exactly why they irritate each other so much. But gradually they become friendly and have to work out ways to accommodate each other’s differences. It might be a children’s book, but it probably has a lot to teach adults, too, especially in the current climate!

Linda Mitchelmore

I don’t remember having a light-bulb moment from reading as a child – I used to read so much and my mother took me to the library every Saturday. Woe betide me if I hadn’t read the books I’d selected the week before. Sometimes, I would have to get an extension on the loan and take it out a second time, getting the little card stamped with the date. What I do remember is loving the non-fiction section as much, if not more, than the children’s fiction section which wasn’t very big in those days. There were some books in there where the paper was tissue-paper thin, and crackled when you turned the pages. Leather bound. Of course, as they were in the adult section I couldn’t take them out with my Junior Library card. But I used to linger. I think, on reflection, it was the feel and smell of books that got me hooked. I still use Paignton Library although its moved from its first floor venue in the old Liberal Party headquarters to a swanky new site near the railway station. Cafe on site – what’s not to like!

Rae Cowie

The first books I remember receiving and treating with great reverence were Twinkle annuals, which, to my delight, magically appeared in my stocking on Christmas morning. I adored all their covers, but the one that sticks in my memory showed Twinkle twirling as a ballerina. Long before I could read, I would row up my teddies, who made for a particularly appreciative audience, prop a Twinkle annual in my lap, and compose stories, which vaguely fitted the pictures.

But the two series that really fired my passion for reading, were both written by Enid Blyton – The Secret Seven and The Famous Five. I loved the adventures of The Secret Seven but longed to belong to the Famous Five. Living along the coast of north-east Scotland, our village had both sandy and rocky beaches, a natural stone stairway known as the Giant Steps, a hermit’s cave to explore, a disused railway station, walks in the grounds of an abandoned stately home, woods surrounding a loch and more... If only Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog would visit Cullen – there were so many places for them to discover! Since joining the Famous Five wasn’t an option, I cajoled my best friend to join me on picnics, long cycle rides, hikes to a temple monument which sat atop a local hill – always on the lookout for a Famous Five mystery-style adventure. So perhaps it was no surprise that when I began reading adult fiction, I devoured Agatha Christie's cosy crime. But my heart was still on Kirrin Island, solving mysteries with the Famous Five.

Jennifer Bohnet

Books that gave one the reading bug! I’m afraid I’m going out on a limb here! I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read and neither can I remember the first books I read. The ones I remember are from when I was about ten when the reading bug was already deeply ingrained in me. But I do remember the books that really got my son reading - and also I think influenced him in one of his career choices! It was the ‘Biggles’ series of books by Capt. W.E.Johns. He positively devoured them and the Gimlet stories afterwards. The picture is of half a dozen out of his childhood collection currently sitting in my attic.

Jennifer Young

I used to worry that my favourite ever children’s book was out of print. Maybe it is: you don’t see it in the bookshops any more, which is why I cling so tightly to the tattered old copy (possibly now without its cover) that was mine when I was a child.

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively came out in 1973 and I must have read it when it was new. It’s about James, who moves to the country with his parents and finds himself being plagued by (and taking the blame for the actions of) a ghost disturbed during the renovation of the family’s cottage) and for some reason, it caught my attention.

Penelope Lively wrote other children’s books but they weren’t as good. She wrote acclaimed literary fiction for adults, too, and I’m afraid I didn’t think that was as good, either. It’s so long since I read it that I can’t remember what was so wonderful about it; but I do know that it’s clung in the back of my mind for decades and now, when I think of it, I remember the line drawings, the characters, the snippets of descriptions.

It’s as if by disturbing that memory, the book has come back to haunt me — almost, you might say, like the ghost of Thomas Kempe himself.

***

After a wonderful time at the RNA party (where I also had a chance to meet up with fellow Novel Points of View contributor, Gill Stewart), I am now home ... tired, happy and thoughtful. I have come to the conclusion that although life is a journey, the direction it takes is often decided by, what appears, inconsequential events. In the mid 70's, mine took a direction towards a love for fiction. Oddly, it was a fictional spider, called Charlotte, and a pig, called Wilbur, who pointed the way.

By

Victoria Cornwall

Author of The Thief's Daughter

Hitting the Road

Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, Argyll

 

I have been feeling sorry for myself lately because I had convinced myself I did not have time to travel to new locations. The pesky day job was not allowing any time away or so I thought.

A few weeks ago a fellow local photographer Ally Deans suggested a mid week day trip, as I had the day off I agreed to join him. We set off just after midnight so that we would arrive at Loch Awe for the sunrise. It would be a long day but one that would well worth it and it has given me the proverbial kick up the rear end to get out there when I can.

Loch Awe at first light

Fortunately the following week mine and Audrey's day off coincided so instead of spending a rare day together I headed off at midnight for Glen Affric. I am very lucky that she understands.

We had been to Glen Affric a few years ago however the weather was against us with the drizzling rain coming off the hills in fits and starts. This trip the weather was on my side to a degree. The beautiful sunny skies later in the day were not ideal for taking photographs;



Glen Affric
 

 but photographers are never happy with the lighting conditions.
 I travelled far and wide eventually ending up at Eilean Donan Castle. The tide and light were against me at this point my only option was to start the long journey home.

So from now on with the days becoming longer I will be hitting the road in search of new locations at every chance.

www.allydeansphotography.co.uk

www.facebook.com/allydeansphotography

WITH APOLOGIES TO OSCAR WILDE

Every woman knows Lady Augusta Bracknell’s famous line in The Importance of Being Earnest: ‘A handbag?’ said with such disdain everyone instantly knows her true feelings. It’s a phrase my husband has perfected down the years, although he invariably uses the words ‘Another handbag?’ but the disdain is there. The fact that I ignore his remark goes without saying. I need my handbags.

My mother was a shoe and bag addict. The genes were passed down to my sister and I - she got the shoe addiction and I got the bag one. I always carry a bag - usually a largish one - whenever I go out. Shoulder, clutch, tote, but never ever a back pack, I just don’t like them. But I do like quirky bags.

The contents of my bags though has changed down the years.When the children were young besides my own essential stuff, notebook and pen (even in those long ago days I scribbled), purse, paperback, keys, the bag had to be big enough to carry all sorts of emergency kit: wet wipes, plasters, snacks, bits of lost lego, crayons and colouring books - oh, any mum of my generation can tell you what it was like keeping children happy in the car in the days before nintendo. And then there had to be room to carry any things of theirs they tired of holding and handed to me. These days I need a bag large enough to carry a note book, phone, diary, sunglasses, spare pair of ordinary glasses, purse, ipad, spare pen, kindle, tissues, lipstick, comb and some business cards (just in case I meet the agent of my dreams so I can hand over a card.) Invariably too, my husband will say, 'have you got room in there for my glasses and my camera?' I'm seriously considering buying him a 'man-bag' - you can buy some lovely ones here in France.

Occasionally I do try and leave the house with a smaller handbag and feel lost. And invariably whatever I decide to leave out is the very thing I need. I have friends who never carry a bag - how do they do that?

For me handbags are like notebooks - irresistible and one is never enough! How about you - can you resist a shop window like the one below?