by Valerie | Feb 14, 2014 | 1950s, art, book reviews, childhood, Fifties, General interest, history, people, Uncategorized, writing a novel
I expected one of the three I was to drive to our book group member who lives in the countryside would call and tell me it was too dangerous. Gale force winds were wailing outside. They all came, intrepid and determined not to miss our meeting. At the first roundabout... by Valerie | Feb 12, 2014 | 1950s, art, book reviews, childhood, horse riding, museums, reading groups
The wind is howling down my chimney. Yesterday we drove back from visiting friends in York through light snow – the first this winter. Tonight I’m driving a carload of friends into the countryside to the only member of our book group who lives out of town. Let’s hope... by Valerie | Jan 22, 2014 | book reviews, reading groups, travel, writing a novel
Will it never end? The UK Liberal Democrat Party is tearing itself apart in an old, old, question – what constitutes an unwelcome advance. Also in the news is the rather strange person, Stephen Ward, who was caught up on the periphery of a scandal that gave us the... by Valerie | Jan 18, 2014 | book reviews, reading groups, writing a novel
This is one of the much-quoted openings that every writer would like to imagine. If I remember correctly they are J P Hartley’s opening words in The Go-Between. Remember the wonderful film with Alan Bates and Julie Christie? It was filmed in a early 18th-century... by Valerie | Dec 14, 2013 | book reviews, reading groups, travel, writing a novel
I’ve ‘lost my head’ in London and not written my blog! In fact, I’ve just returned from a Christmas drinks party where there was talk of Colm Toibin’s novel Brooklyn and the original way it ends. I suspect it might be like a play by Paul Claudel, L’Annonce faite à...
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