Remembrance approaches

Quick mention to the brilliant guys at Barrow Waterstones-thank you for making me so welcome on Saturday. It was a steady flow for the full hour I was there and it was a shame I missed some people...catch them later I am sure!

The weather is a bit more like it ought to be in November and I am looking forward to visiting Brantwood on Coniston Water at the weekend. I'm going to the Craft Fair and I am hopeful that I make some good sales and contacts. We had a great time last year-so this will be a test of the recession! 

It will be poignant for me to be in Brantwood on the 11th November-as I think I have mentioned before that my dad's maternal grandparents and family lived at the Lodge at the foot of the drive there. I have wonderful photos of them outside the cottage and my Great Grandfather Miles Wilkinson was a gardener under Professor John Ruskin and later took over from the Head Gardener and continued to work for Arthur and Lily Severn after Ruskin's death, until his own in 1920.

His son John will be in mind particularly as he was one of the many who gave his life for us during World War 1. He had volunteered with his brothers at the start of war, but had been declared unfit for service because of poor sight. He joined the local volunteer unit and as war progressed he was called up when conditions were relaxed. He went to France in 1917 and was home on leave in February 1918-we know this from his diary (now in Ruskin Museum Coniston) and he had barely returned to the front when he was shot in the head at Vimy Ridge. He ended his life in the field hospital at Wimeraux and lies in the cemetery there (the same cemetery which houses John McCrae-the soldier-poet who wrote "In Flanders Field"). Naturally, the family was devastated and his loss was felt in the Brantwood community. In fact he was honoured by Canon Rawnsley (of National Trust fame), who penned a poem in his honour, read at the memorial service. John was 27 years old,shy, unassuming and quiet. He had a fiance-who is known only to us from the diary as "F"-she lived at the Severn's London home in Warwick Square and was a servant there. One wonders what happened to her and how she took the news-she had visited the family home in Coniston on his last leave-so it was maybe then that they were engaged.His diary entries are brief and simple-but it is quite chilling when the entries cease on 26th March-two days before he was shot. However, the most poignant and disturbing discovery is in the fly leaf of the diary, where in faint pencil he has scrawled "Cheerio".

John Wilkinson Royal Garrison Artillery Died 30 March 1918

Poem written for John by Canon Rawnsley

Remembrance ceremony for the fallen of the villageand dedication of the memorial cross in St Andrew's Church Coniston

Promotion, preparation and signing

just checking in tonight... have a few busy weeks ahead. The business is still in need of promotion and although we have had a fab couple of write ups in the NW Evening Mail, it hasn't brought many clients. I am an impatient soul but I have to try and get us known and out there. New Horizons Education has some good heritage courses which I am keen to teach...just need the students! In fact my life has become a massive promotional task-blogging, facebook, tweeting etc etc...it takes a lot of time but the key thing is its free!

I have a number of visits planned to various venues and I should be out and about up until Christmas. Its important to do the small things too-like tonight I've been to Hartington Street Methodist Tea Club. I didn't imagine that I would have such a good response-but I managed to engage the group and this led to leaflets being taken to hand on to teachers-with the hope I may get some Author visits in. Its a very different life to the previous one I led-as a salaried teacher. It is varied and interesting but the pay is indifferent to be honest and a little unstable...which is the one- down side really! However, it has freed me up to do something I have long wanted to do-work as a Museum Assistant albeit casual. I could never have consciously taken such a massive drop in pay when I was working...but now as all my work is intermittent and casual it is actually an extra! Weird!

Well I hope you are ready for Raven's Hoard-its a bit darker than Secret of the Swan-and quite exciting. It can be pre-ordered and I will be doing  signings locally from 28 October (if the advance copies arrive) onwards.

28 Oct Abbey House Hotel Halloween Family Ghost Walk 6-8pm

31 Oct Abbey Mill Cafe Halloween Scare Fest 4-6pm and 6-8pm

3 Nov Waterstones Barrow 

10-11 Nov Brantwood Craft Fair

8 Dec Dock Museum

Hope to see you there...somewhere...

Brantwood craft fair

A lovely day today at beautiful Brantwood with spectacular views along Coniston lake. Met many interesting people including the talented Sally Anne Lambert an illustrator and watercolourist. Had a great signing and sold a lot of books and had many chats about Out of Time and the next book too. Lovely surroundings in Ruskin's drawing room overlooking the lake and many exciting stalls and crafts. Felt nice being in close proximity to where my great grandparents lived and worked-Miles and Jane Wilkinson who lived in the Lodge and Miles worked as gardener first for Ruskin and then the Severns. Wonder what they would have thought? Just resting up ready for tomorow when I get to do it all again!:) and I will post some pictures-the autumn leaves look amazing. Watching Festival of Remembrance now at the Royal Albert Hall-reminds me of my dad who loved it-a Royal Engineer-and remembering the family members who were lost in WW1. Lest we forget

Book signing at Brantwood

Busy weekend ahead. I will be at beautiful Brantwood on Saturday and Sunday-signing books at the Craft Fair on both days. Can't think of a lovelier place to spend 2 days. Hope lots of visitors come and have a chat! Should be a nice weekend. Bookings for the new term are coming in gradually and I am also taking part in the Furness Abbey Christmas fair event (I did suggest this on FB-maybe somebody listens after all? lol) But before that theres another signing at Carlisle Waterstones on 19th December. Still trying to get back to writing again-and finishing the pictures for the children's picture book...so many distractions, issues and things to do!