Meddling Fiend - Nicola Turner   One of the summer's highlights for me is the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. It hadn't registered with me till my niece, Rachel, had a piece accepted in 2015 and I went with my sister to admire Rachel's work. Until that point,...

I like gardening. I love being outside - not quite in all weathers, but most. I prefer a moist soil in which weeds are easily removed, plants dug in and seeds sown. That rarely happens, but it's a joy when it does. In suitable gear I can find something to do when it's...

When my novel was published in 2016, the display in the local Waterstones was of Monty Don's Nigel: my family and other dogs. On the day of the launch, copies of A Time for Peace were available on the front table. I made a poster inviting potential readers to the...

According to Wikipedia the word holiday originates from the Old English, hāligdæg (hālig "holy" + dæg "day"). This year coincided with Spring Bank holiday, school half term and Whit Sunday. In my diary only Spring Bank holiday is identified. As a child brought up as a...

The grey days are the worst. When clouds hang around, threatening and miserable. When it rains the change brings hope. Nothing stays the same.  I've written one published novel, one for whom I'm looking for an agent or a publisher, and one work-in-progress. I'm a...

It can take someone who doesn't know you to give you a new perspective on your own life. This year when I went to Iona for my writing retreat, Wendy said, 'You've given a lot to others during your working life, now's the time to focus on what you want - your writing.'...