Thursday 23 September 2010

Signs of winter

With summer fading away, I find myself suddenly faced with a huge amount of travelling as I set off for Booksignings at Waterstones near and far. Obviously, they're not in China but they might as well be. England can become a hugely ungainly beast when you need to circumnavigate it. In the south-west we are miles from anywhere, the distances on a signpost appear to be doubled and can take forever, as you crawl along obeying an unremitting series of 20 and 30 mph signs. The eternal debate living here is: do I waste time driving 27 miles to reach a motorway or go across country?
Once upon a time going across country was an fillip to the soul, an enjoyable adventure. Now, it's the disagreeable alternative to driving in convoy along the motorway; as roads are closed with gay abandon, diverting traffic miles in the opposite direction.

I am sure by the time I have carried out a few of the Saturday signings, I will be putting my house up for sale and moving to a town, where there's a railway station.

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Saturday 18 September 2010

Embarking on a tour of lower England

I know very little about England. It is the country of my birth and, as a child, I was taken to 'interesting' places. Unfortunately, living abroad for so long, in my mind those places have remained the same.
I am constantly amazed when visiting new towns to see the progress - and yet, in some ways, very little has changed. I was battling my way round Bristol the other day, constantly asking for directions since mapreading requires both my specs and a magnifying glass. It struck me then that Brits are pretty much as they have always been - helpful and polite when you need directions. Except for teenagers! Sadly, they are totally lost if it involves somewhere more than a couple of streets away.

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Friday 10 September 2010

Ode to Victoria Station

Whenever I visit London, I ask the question; how does London keep going? Under natural law, it should have collapsed in grid lock years ago. Tuesday there was a tube strike - the roads manic and, on the buses, even sardines felt squashed!

Despite the frustrations and the chaos, there still remains that frisson of electricity that sweeps through you the moment your foot hits the pavement Despite all the anguish, the noise and rumble of wheels - London possess something that no other city in England can aspire to.
Je ne sais quoi? Absolutely!

Oh by the way, you bosses of Victoria Station; the signs to the coach station vanish half way - what's that all about?

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Saturday 4 September 2010

Listening to heaven!

I've got Barber's violin concerto playing - a welcome change from TV. Am I getting old or is telly becoming more and more dismal every day. Programmes used to be fun and, above all, entertaining. Now, I'm bored before they reach halfway. Fortunately I have a shelf full of books! They never let you down.

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Wednesday 1 September 2010

Nightmare scenario!

The worst thing that can happen to a writer is having a lay-off period between books. For months, you sweat and strain to get to the end of your current offering. After that you sail headfirst into the doldrums when the book is cast out into the world. For months you watch its progress; never happy, beset by a nagging voice ... what  if I can no longer write?  It haunts your dreams and fills every waking moment. You find yourself creating sentences and words for practice, drifting off the sleep forgetful of what you were thinking about a moment ago, fearful that you no longer can cut the mustard. Then that magical day when, once again, you write a halfway decent page, banishing your nightmares to the far corners of the earth for yet another year!

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