A Review of 1066 – What Fates Impose by G.K. Holloway I love to read a lively account of English history, and often draw principles from it that are relevant to our own lives. So when author G.K. Holloway contacted me recently to ask if I’d agree to read and review his book 1066 – What Fates Impose, IContinue reading “The Last Anglo-Saxon King and A Successful Invasion: Brutality, Beauty, and The Workings of Fate in Our Lives – in 1066”
Category Archives: UK
The RADA Student Who Felt Like Packing Her Bags and Going Back North
The BBC Radio 4 Today programme is often a source of inspiration to me. And today at 8.20am I heard an item about the party for former RADA students that the Queen will be holding in Buckingham Palace this evening (Monday 17 February 2014) I’m very interested in the life of an actor, partly because the acting world doesContinue reading “The RADA Student Who Felt Like Packing Her Bags and Going Back North”
A Vision of Healing Through The Power of Prayer in Leamington Spa
Over the last few weeks I’ve been taking a few hours of time out from revising my novel, to do voluntary work for our local Christian Healing Centre, The Well. I help to update the website, assist the Director of The Well, Rev. Anne Hibbert, with her blog, proofread publicity material and prepare leaflets advertising forthcoming events.Continue reading “A Vision of Healing Through The Power of Prayer in Leamington Spa”
Peter Pan, Lost Childhood and Role Reversals in Traditional Children’s Tales
At the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon on Friday night ( 24th January 2014) we saw a reversal of roles for Peter Pan and Wendy. I always like to give myself time to read the programme notes before a performance (if at all possible!) And the most intriguing notes on this production of Wendy and Peter Pan were written by theContinue reading “Peter Pan, Lost Childhood and Role Reversals in Traditional Children’s Tales”
Totally Devoted to Jane Austen
One of my favourite Christmas gifts was one I bought for myself for 10p in the late stock-clearance at my son’s school Christmas Fair – an audio book of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. I’ve been listening to it in the car over and over again. And despite Death Comes to Pemberley on TV afterContinue reading “Totally Devoted to Jane Austen”
A Fresh Insight Into One of History’s Villains, With the Help of Shakespeare and David Tennant
The highlight of our Christmas was a visit to the Barbican Theatre, London, on Saturday 21 December 2013, to see David Tennant performing in the role of Shakespeare’s Richard II. Richard II is one of English history’s villains. So who better to play him on stage and change our view of him than one ofContinue reading “A Fresh Insight Into One of History’s Villains, With the Help of Shakespeare and David Tennant”
Lovely Lake District in Autumn 2013
We spent a few days in England’s lovely Lake District during the recent autumn half term. The Lake District is special to me, not only because of its association with numerous famous writers, with Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin, William Wordsworth; but also because of memories from childhood holidays there, and the fact that I regularlyContinue reading “Lovely Lake District in Autumn 2013”
Why So Many of Us Love Doctor Who
So many children’s bedrooms up and down the UK and around the world must look similar to this one, in our home. In the recent celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the BBC drama series Doctor Who, the question has been posed: why do you think Doctor Who is so popular? Since everyone in ourContinue reading “Why So Many of Us Love Doctor Who”
A Review of JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy
I’m a great admirer of JK Rowling both as an author, and on a personal level. So when I knew she’d published her first adult novel, I was keen to read it. When I began to read The Casual Vacancy several months ago, I found it a struggle to get through the unrelenting nastiness ofContinue reading “A Review of JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy”
The Dream of William Morris at Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds
My dream, wrote the designer William Morris, is a dream of what has never been… and therefore, since, the world is alive, and moving yet, my hope is the greater that it one day will be… dreams have before now come about of things so good… we scarcely think of them more than the daylight,Continue reading “The Dream of William Morris at Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds”
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