A bell rings as your eyes absorb the darkness - your foot crosses the threshold. The afternoon sun on your back you immerse yourself in the cool and musty air hanging in this Aladdin’s Cave. Books line the walls, from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, no categories, no collections, just individuals leaning against one another: Keats, Austen and mundane classics, once bought...

Ok, picture this. You’re on a cramped and to be blunt rather vile train heading into the gloriously busy London and to pass time you reach into your bag and pull out your copy of In the Footsteps of Harrison Dextrose by Nick Griffiths.   I am going to stop here to applaud you for two reasons:        Well done on choosing such...

With Remembrance Day approaching I wanted to reflect back on a generation that experienced the true meaning of bravery. I sit down on the floral settee with her And ask her about him, Our hero.She smiles at the gas fireplace, His portrait gazes back from a distant office party,That dark suit, that warm smile and that dimple. He was a gentle Quaker and had been a...

Well today saw the most spontaneous rain shower I have ever witnessed. After successfully darting up the lawn to retrieve pantyloons of various sizes, I resorted to digging the blackberries out of the freezer and turning the Rayburn up to 'High', one of it's two settings.  I pulled Mum's heavy cookbook off the newly dusted shelves (well done Mum, that was quite the...

Walking up the inclinethe inky ceiling darkens,strands of silver ribbons float through the air. A sharp intake of breath,the senses tingle,something being created as the skin brushes cold air. 'He's down in the garden'she nods and smiles,a whisp of smokesuspended in air.Hands deep in bubbles,pots steaming in the far corner.Home at last...some things never change. The heady scent of woodsmokethe evenings creep closer,drifting in across...

Yesterday was a glorious autumnal day, clear blue skies, crisp fresh air and beautiful, amber, crunchy leaves. The conditions were perfect for a walk in the water meadows. The previous day I had made a secret promise to myself to collect as many blackberries as possible for a scrummy jam, so armed with tupperwear, water and a trusty rucksack we ambled down the...

I don't know why they call it Memory Lane, I think of it more like a slide, Falling, swooshing and delving into the deepest corners of my mind. One sign leads to another, a jolt and and a break. A smell, a sense, a hazy idea of something resting in the passages of time. Grasping, clutching at the wispy memory, distinction lost as...

I would like to introduce the newest addition to my notebook. She is called Emily and has informed me that she likes kingfishers, scones, Ribena and the sound of rain on canvas tents. However Emily has also told me that she has a strong dislike for buttons, but not chocolate buttons, she likes those ones. Emily has been popping in and out of...

On a busy London train in the last few weeks of July I was very happy to see some of Gillian Clarke's poetry displayed between adverts for me to read. It really made me smile and forget the intrusive odour wafting around the stuffy carriage. The poem was call Ode to Joy and is as follows: Exultation! Salutation to the long midsummer days,...

A selection of my favourite books so far, very hard to pick so I didn't think too hard about it. Dracula, Bram Stoker: No Meyerisms can top this classic gothic thriller, I loved the diary format which was a fantastic way of building tension.    Seagull, John Livingston: Short story dealing with philosophical questions about the afterlife approached from a very simple yet effective...

Gargoyles warn of an impending doomas you take a breath and leap forwardsinto an unknown marble darkness. Faces glazed in an eternal solitude,crying out for their patronage from forgotten corners.Hushed voices and pointing fingers,searching, looking, finding,the Green Man. Under the Madonnahe loiters and remains.The constant reminder of a nation divided. Vandalised memorials beg for attention,subtle murmurs of a lost dignitary and anunyielding faith....

Seeing as today was so glorious I spent the majority of it outside in the hammock however I did realise that whilst I was home I would be daft not to take advantage of my parents' super speedy scanner and upload last year's articles. If you fancy having a nose around the blog you will find new additions (thanks to super speedy scanner!)...

Hello I'm Lottie and welcome to my blog. I have recently written (and published!) my first children's book called We Love Looe.    Writing and playing with stories makes me very happy so we shall see where I end up! I have already had two book launches and they were both fantastic fun and I was so happy with the reception it received. Waterstone's...