SIGNPOSTS TO CREATIVITY...

Hello! 

As summer arrives here in the United Kingdom and the sun finally decides to shine, team members have been out and about spotting interesting signs that have inspired them to write.

Victoria says... Bodmin Jail is a grade ll listed building which has survived many significant prison reforms - both good and bad. In recent years it has been developed into a boutique hotel and attraction yet still preserves the history and character of the infamous prison. The words that inspired two of my books, The Thief's Daughter and The Captain's Daughter, made up a list of prisoners who were hung at the jail. Atmospheric, thought provoking and providing a snapshot of the past, those words will evoke many feelings... for the victims if not for the criminals themselves. 

A chilling list...

A link to the prison/hotel is here:- https://www.bodminjail.org/discover/about-bodmin-jail/history/ 

Jenni says... As an author, I am constantly seeking out fresh names for characters. In my most recent novel, The Secrets of Hawthorn Place, Percy Gladwell, got his surname from a truck parked in my village that is owned by a local landscaping company – Gladwells. I used to pass it several times a day and thought it fitted my character perfectly. In a nearby village, the poignant street name above (see photo) haunts me, and I have stored the Flowerdew surname in my memory bank for future use. But the coolest (and possibly creepiest) street name of all is Deadman’s Lane, just around the corner from me. This delightful single-track lane with a pretty stream running through, is allegedly where they used to hang criminals many centuries ago, and I just know that somewhere there is a story waiting to be told… 

Clare says... Every day I like to take a break from writing to get out for a short walk, and around the corner from where I live are Ghost Hill Woods. The name originates from an Anglo-Saxon battle and the ghosts are believed to be soldiers who were discovered in a mass grave not far away at Bloods Dale Woods. As a history buff I love the images they provoke. 

I visit during daylight with my dog, when the ghosts are silent. At night though the woods are deserted and there are pockets of shadow that are the deepest black, a cold presence deterring all but the brave. And sometimes if you listen carefully, you can hear the echoes of fighting; the shouts of Vikings and the ringing of blade against blade carrying on the wind... 

Mairibeth says... A nearby street-name helped inspire my Brothers of Thunder romance series. The oddly named Tom a’ Mhoid in the village of Rosneath, is a Gaelic street name shared in English by the nearby Courthill. A small pathway leads to this early medieval site where cases were heard and justice decided — sentences were then carried out at Gallowhill, outside the village itself. The tiered mound was removed c.1820 to build nearby Rosneath Castle (now demolished). 

If I hadn’t been intrigued by the street name, and discovered its similarities to Norse Thing sites, I might never have realised how many local links there are with the Norse! 

Rae says... For a couple of years, I drove passed Kellie Pearl Way and wondered who Kellie Pearl was, and why the road was given her name. I assumed she was a woman accused of witchcraft, as, sadly, here in NE Scotland, witch trials were aplenty. Then in May 2020, I completed an Inspiration Through Folklore online series of workshops with tutor, Sandra Ireland, and one of the tasks set was to discover more about a local street sign. I knew exactly which one I would research. 

To my astonishment, Kellie Pearl wasn’t a person, but the largest fresh-water pearl ever discovered in the United Kingdom. It was found in a tributary of the nearby River Ythan and presented to King James VI, who had it mounted on the Scottish crown. Today, the crown can be viewed at Edinburgh Castle, part of the Scottish crown jewels, also known as the Honours of Scotland. 

For a writer, such an intriguing tale was a gift. Who found the Kellie Pearl buried deep in the mud? As they weighed the precious gem in their palm, were they tempted to keep it? And so, I wrote a short story imaginatively entitled, The Kellie Pearl! It’s yet to be published, but it feels good to share a little royal history here, on this, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend. 

Crown of Scotland containing
the Kellie Pearl

What little known local history has inspired your creativity? Or what interesting signs have caught your attention? We would love to hear... 

Rae x