“Go back to your books, to your armchair. Plant your trees, watch them grow. If more people valued home above gold, this world would be a merrier place.”

— Thorin Oakenshield

Latest Posts


  • Haphazard by Starlight – Poems for Advent

    The Adoration of the Magi, by Andrea Mantegnadd – celebrate Christmas by reading TS Eliot’s ‘Journey of the Being a bit of a magpie, I look at what people write about books, then steal authors and titles for my own use. Sometimes… Continue reading

  • Short Story Sunday: The Devastating Boys

    Well, we’ve had our ‘Christmas’ already, last weekend, when the Darling Daughters and their Boyfriends came home, and we had a Christmas dinner, and crackers, and presents, and wine, and sang along to Christmas music, and played silly children’s games,… Continue reading

  • The Novel Cure…

    Well, it’s a very long time indeed since I’ve posted anything here – almost a year in fact, and I’m not sure why. I just reached a point where I felt I’d had enough of writing and blogging, and where… Continue reading

  • Short Story Sunday – Telling Tales with STW

    I’m not sure if  a Gainsborough portrait of Arminella Blountin the character actually exists, so here’s his painting ofhis daughters chasing a butterfly. This week a short story much more to my taste – A View of Exmoor, by Sylvia… Continue reading

  • Poirot’s First Case

    Poirot at work: Actor David Suchet as /Hercule Poirotin the Chanel 4 TV series. I sat and enjoyed a Poirot-fest over the weekend, thanks to ITV3, which screened enough back to back episodes to satisfy the most die-hard addict. So… Continue reading