Children’s Favourites chosen by five Laureates made interesting reading in today’s Daily Telegraph. Prompted me to make my list from my reading in my early years:-

Peter Pan And Wendy – J.M.Barrie

Treasure Island –  Robert Louis Stevenson

Prester John – John Buchan

Black Beauty – Anna Sewell

Aces Up – Covington Clark

True To The Old Flag – G.A.Henty

King Solomon’s Mines – H Rider Haggard

And I devoured Boy’s Own Annuals, any books about Robin Hood,  also those about Biggles by W.E.Johns. And I spent many happy hours devouring Arthur Mee’s Children’s Encyclopedia (sadly no date in this but it must have been from the early part of the 20th Century judging by the dress and early motor cars in the pictures. – I still have it aafter all these years – how many? Well a long time. It’s still fascinating to turn the pages and slip back into by my early years)

What were your favourites from your young years?

Shame on the Government ! These men served this country bravely and should not be neglected.  The Home Office says it would cost too much to implement a scheme to benefit these men and their families. The Government should look around at how much money it wastes on schemes that are not beneficial to this country.  Why refuse these loyal people when the Government allow in so many who don’t even have the interest of this country at heart?  It’s so easy to let slip and forget what these and many others have done in times of conflict without proper recognition.

My Easter break has been prolonged. It really started on the Wednesday before Easter when three of the family arrived. Maybe even before that if you count four arriving on the previous Sunday to take a cottage 2 miles from me for a week. Two more arrived to me on Maunday Thursday. I cooked for 10 that evening !  The main meal; my daughters provided the sweets. I had plenty of washers up.  They all left on Easter Sunday for various parts of the Kingdom. I got my breath back but it was great having them. Then my son arrived for two days. I was taken out for lunch last Sunday and today I have had lunch in a newly renovated pub in a nearby village with a friend from America. All great fun and very enjoyable. Managed to squeeze in a bit of writing now and then. Oh, yes, I’m off to York tomorrow for most of the day.  After that? The way seems clear for some time to get on with my writing — Oh, no! I’m off on holiday for eight days leaving some of my family house-sitting. After that my computer keyboard will be red-hot. It had better be – I’ve never missed a deadline yet!  And don’t tell me there’s always a first time!

 

Ethiopian Mocha Limu.

Has anyone else tried this?

Menu where I tried it described it as having floral notes and hint of honey.

It comes from the oldest coffee growing region in the world.

I thought it was an excellent smooth coffee with a subtle taste.

What is your recommened favourite?

Saturday 8.30 a.m. Very dull and miserable looking outside. Hopefully it may clear as it did late yesterday afternoon. But at the moment it will be a writing day on the computer – a contrast to my day yesterday.  There will be a break at 3 p.m. to listen to Middlesbrough v Bolton. We need a win. Up the Boro !!! I hope it isn’t a nail-biting finish with the Boro in the lead — my fingers are a lot shorter this season already !!

A day off from writing today. Baked instead – Pineapple Fruit Cake, Syrup Cake, Fairy Cakes, 5 indivirual steamed suet puddings (raspberry jam).  But does a writer ever have a day completely away from writing? Aren’t thoughts about developments in the book always there? Even tucked away they’ll emerge if something suddenly strikes a chord. I was recently asked if I took writing work on holiday. My emphatic answer was NO. That is a time to completely relax, especially the mind. But you know, subconsciously I’ll be taking in atmosphere; it will be there, probably coming to the fore in some future novel unthought of at that time. Maybe in my next novel a character will have some Pineapple Fruit Cake with her cup of tea!  It could have a significant influence on the outcome of the story !!

Been at at a Romantic Novelists Association (Northern Branch) today. Good meeting. good lunch, good chatter – what more could a writer want? Yes, its true – writers can chatter as much as most, probably more so. We make up for the long silences when we are at work writing. Had a good natter with delightful Shirley Wells – crime  and romantic writer. Found we both had a common interest in Orkney and Shetland. My visits there with my wife linger long in my memory – delightful places, though near each other they are so different. Each has its own magic.

Its been a lovely day with a good group but also the weather was great making the round trip of 70 miles enjoyable especially in my newly purchased car. Had it 3 weeks now. Today was its first ‘longish’ run, others having been a mere 20 miles. So on the way today the car and I suddenly felt part of each other – we fitted. Will get a much longer run one day next week when I go to meet a friend in North Lincolshire for lunch. Hope it’s a fine day – it will make the journey more pleasurable.

Now do I do some writing or watch the tele?   Decisions!