Helen Edith Toull is my great-grandmother and the family poet. She lived from 1888 to 1978, and rather than allow her memory and poetry to remain hidden in a box, I shall share it with you. I’m massively into ancestry. But I’ve always been keen to learn more about history. Together, Dad and I have …
I am delighted to announce Earth Pathways has accepted three pieces of my work for their 2025 diary. “Earth Pathways celebrates the work of artists and writers who share a deep love for the land and a desire to live with appreciation and responsibility for this beautiful planet.” This is my third year to have …
Incorporating the five senses into your writing A year ago, someone shared with me a grounding technique. We all have our methods to bring ourselves back to the present moment, and this exercise focuses on using the five senses to reconnect with the immediate environment. First, arrange yourself into a comfortable position. Relax your breathing. …
February can feel like a funny month. Its shorter, changeable length gives the impression whoever was making up the months tried to make the best of a slightly botched job. The weather is usually foul, this year opting for the three W’s: warm, wet, windy. However, the days are lengthening. The spring bulbs are pushing …
Photography was my first real creative pursuit. Most things had turned digital by the time I got the bug. The most impactful memory of film photography was the time my dad and sister turned the garage into a temporary darkroom and some chemicals from that ended up eating into my body board. Teenage me was …
Reconnecting with nature through creativity “The wet young beeches were undergoing amputations, bruises, cripplings, and harsh lacerations, from which the wasting sap would bleed for many a day to come, and which would leave scars visible till the day of their burning. Each stem was wrenched at the root, where it moved like a bone …
The Balancing Act The Autumn Equinox is a time for reflection and gratitude. This year it falls on 23rd September. It is the time when light equals dark. We stand on the dagger’s edge before the gentle tip back into the dark. I am what you’d probably call a nature worshiper. The added benefit is …
If you’ve ever wondered, read on. If you haven’t, but like ambient, electro and soundscapes, then keep reading. Cookies (not in a good way) I was born with mid-range hearing loss. On an audiogram, the line pattern looks like someone has taken a big bit out of a cookie, hence it’s more “fun” name, Cookie-bite …
Independence Day Hello Boys GIFfrom Independence Day GIFs I’m Back! I’ve done a Baggin’s and disappeared only to reappear again sometime later. There was a journey, adventure, peril, fear and enough anxiety to last me quite some time. In short: I moved house. As you may know, the process of moving home is fraught with …
I’m looking at a nearby wind turbine. Despite the breeze, it refuses to spin. It proves to be an excellent analogy for my current writing output. The urge to write is there, no doubt about that. Plus, there is a heap of stuff in my head, so all I need to do is open Scrivener …