Three Years on

Just realised that its three years since the governmental axe fell on Playing for Success and therefore since I became redundant because Cumbria County Council no longer wanted to support it. Neither the government or the County Council examined the real viability or efficacy of the scheme-despite new research proving it was successful and effective for a wide range of children who needed an extra push. Even schools registered evidence of improvement in these children-but in these times of "austerity", politically based cut backs and an every man for himself attitude-these findings were brushed aside-oddly Mr Gove and co didn't recognise the value...well...it was such a Labour initiative after all and the fact that it had run successfully for 13 years and there were already 162 centres UK wide was again deemed irrelevant.

Storytellers Project-a poetry walk

I was passionate about the job-as were my colleagues, we literally mourned the loss of this amazing project. Nobody could help-all expressed sorrow and dismay from teachers, pupils, parents to the football club we lived in and the local MP. So we moved on... a bit.

Two of us tried to continue with the help of Barrow AFC- but the sustainability and the funding was not there and we ended up with a half life. This had to be terminated, but we all gave our best but it just didn't work-nobody wanted to- or could pay...and as much as I was committed to the ethos-oddly I needed paying for work done! So my colleague and I went freelance. We run a small education business New Horizons Education Ltd  which has gained a good reputation for running small projects and training Teaching Assistants-but is limited in range.

Reading at Chipping Storytelling Festival

The day following redundancy my first book was published. This has been an exciting roller coaster ride-a total innocent in terms of understanding either publishing or book selling I went in blind! I have learnt much and now at book number 4 I am more aware of the pit falls and have isolated my deficits-marketing being one. I have discovered that as a 50 something woman I have the same self-esteem issues as the children I helped via PFS! Strange- because out of my comfort zone I am just as vulnerable as they were. I am about to publish number 3 in the Out of Time series and realise the necessary things I have to do. I have been advised to sing my own praises-something I have never been comfortable with-but apparently nobody will believe in me if I don't myself! Its not that I don't believe in me-but I find it a bit crass and rude to mention it out loud! A bit... American? A bit boastful? Well here goes...lets bite the bullet-
I am a popular (yes you are... at least Cumbria wide) author (yes-you do write and have published books-so that's an author isn't it?) and I write really good books that people love and enjoy (no bad reviews (good reviews), constant sales over 3 years, "fans" adult and children alike, a good following, a publisher who believes in me...So, now to the next stage-onward and upward...

Do you want to buy a book? www.out-of-time.co.uk or www.troubador.co.uk


Briefing FAF volunteers before the Medieval Fair at Furness Abbey

Evaluating the last three years-some good some bad-done things I would never have done while still in full employment, met lots of new and interesting people, visited amazing schools and children, I drive the work, I follow many personal interests and have developed fantastic partnerships-although not from an employment stance- I am working in heritage(alongside and with English Heritage) for a place I'm passionate about- Furness Abbey and Barrow in Furness which is rewarding. Ok its not so financially secure, but its never dull, I'm always busy, but I have flexibility so can follow my dreams, spend time helping with grandchildren, and can learn so much more and try new things. So although I'm not keen on the "self-employed" idea-on balance-the experience is exciting if terrifying- a bit like a roller coaster ride. Well everyone should be scared at least once a day!

 Having fun at the abbey with grandsons

 

Oh and don't forget DYSTONIA-a charity I've worked voluntarily for over 16 years... about to do the 9th Keswick to Barrow Walk for dystonia... and its going to rain...but on the bright side you can STILL sponsor me for the 40 miles of sheer hell that it will be in torrential Lakeland rain https://www.keswick2barrow.co.uk/sponsor/welcome.asp?ID=60

Crosier's coming home!

Short and sweet this week-two items:

1. TV debut....BBC North West Tonight last Friday-30 seconds-re training John Woodcock as a Teaching Assistant to give him the necessary credentials to lead a fantastic 3 week summer school in Barrow in the holidays. Our company New Horizons Education Ltd is proud to support him and will do all we can to help him complete this weighty course in good time and as painlessly as possible! Well done John-can you now suggest that Mr Gove does the same? But unfortunately if he asks-I have NO places free for him! See...

www.newhorizons-ltd.co.uk

2. The crosier is returning to Furness Abbey and will be on show from 1 April 2014! And this is NOT an April Fool! It really is coming home! The brand new bespoke cabinet is ready to be installed and to house the magnificent artefacts and it will be a huge draw to attract people to visit Furness Abbey. Furness Abbey Fellowship have worked very hard to raise the funds for this and are almost at the target of £6000. If you would like to donate please follow the link on the website below.

http://www.furnessabbeyfellowship.co.uk/crozierappeal/

COMING SOON: UPDATED FURNESS ABBEY FELLOWSHIP AND THE FURNESS ABBEY BLOGS-WATCH OUT AND FOLLOW

Vikings, Halloween and books

Action...charge!

The Viking leapt into the air raising his sword above him, his war cry curdling the blood in the young people's veins. He landed heavily on the sand, screaming his battle-cry again and running towards the headland, his swordsmen crowding behind him. The noise of the men's cries split the tranquillity of the day and as they gathered, some armed with axes, some with spears or swords and many with more than one weapon, the youngsters shrank into the dunes hoping to be overlooked.

 They had not seen on the headland a small force of local warriors, who were now racing to meet the Viking raiders...the Vikings had seen their quarry and ran rapidly towards the warriors, whooping and leaping joyously, impervious to the danger of battle.The noise was terrifying and ear-splitting. Metal clashed against metal, weapons hissed through the air, screams of agony met cries of triumph and victory. Bodies crashed heavily into each other, bones and skulls cracked and split, men fell to the ground never to arise again...

An altogether more peaceful scene-looking toward the Lakeland hills

A motley crew of Vikings plus the author
(L-R Iain, Terry, Gill, Piglet, Martin and Craig)

 A brilliant day today filming at Bardsea and Birkrigg with some very kind gentlemen--dressed as vikings. They are all re-enactors and did a great job. I have to thank them-with special mention to Iain McNichol who is a local "History Man" of local repute, Terry Harvey Chadwick (Midgard Living History) Piglet(real name unknown) Martin McFall and Craig Appely. Thank you all for your stirling efforts-I can't wait to see the end result.

It starts to be busy from now...the book is now out on ebooks/Kindle/ibooks and the paperback is released on Thursday. Tomorrow I am at Abbey House Hotel at 7pm giving a reading...

On Wednesday we (New Horizons) are having a 3 hour story and craft session for Halloween at Walney Community Centre-its a fun session for 7-11years and our first activity for children. From there I race over to Abbey Mill Coffee Shop to do more readings-this time in a tent...please dont let it rain... Thursday-Raven's Hoard is OUT!
Building up to a grand launch and signing at Waterstone's Barrow at 1pm for an hour only-so if you want a signed copy come on down!

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...

Infinite variety

I always remember that quote from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra- "Age cannot  wither her, nor custom stale, her infinite variety." I used to think that seemed like a sort of bonus for growing older or being less than beautiful-I assumed infinite variety referred to he mood changes and attitudes-making her a bit risky and unpredictable. Well having reached middle age myself-I'm not so sure! I think it actually refers to life itself-which appears to take on a roller coaster effect -you know-when you start to juggle too many balls and meet yourself coming back? Well I have had a lot of "infinite variety" this week...the New Horizons Education is moving forward-we have 14 students this term which is a good start. We need to get the other courses kicked off next so hoping the Evening Mail article next week will do the trick (usually does).

As if that wasn't enough I have started my new little job at the Dock Museum as an assistant. This is what I had originally set out to do some 34 years ago-that or archaeology...funny how you get diverted sometimes! Great fun! Another day in on Sunday. THAT will be fun as I have a long standing booking for a ghost vigil at Tatton Park with my daughter in law and her pals...we don't get back till early hours and I'm in at 11am! 

The new book is going to press this week-really cannot wait! I am very pleased with this one...I feel I have settled into my style now and  it is quite exciting. Hope you like the cover-I am...its kind of carried on the theme too-looks good. Thanks again to Troubador Publishing

Bit of prep tomorrow for the book release and its going to be even busier next month! Ah well, variety-infinite or otherwise-is the spice of life.

Ch-ch-changes

I am one who is averse to change...yet I seem to encounter it at every turn. Obviously, life can never be static and the natural changes which occur have to be accepted and assimilated. I tend to be one of those people who affects change uneasily, but looks back to what went before. I love nostalgia and wallow in the past-I am sure I do this idealistically-I doubt that the past has the rosy glow I endow it with. In saying that, however, I do think there are elements that we could learn from-certainly, my childhood seemed simple and innocent-I think my first book echoes this, as the children in it have the freedoms which I so enjoyed...maybe more than 21st century kids experience. Childhood disappears so quickly, vital and exciting one moment and fading to a sunset memory the next. 

I watched a neighbour's child playing in the street with her friends today. I felt a tear prickle the back of my eye as I recalled how recently my own daughter played in the same street with hers. She goes off to Leeds University soon and has long cast aside youthful games...but how quickly that seems to have happened! I know I should not mourn her growing up-especially as I am lucky to have a grandson to fill those childish footprint; but its hard not to...you blink and your own youth has vanished, sad but true! Perhaps that's why I have preserved childhood in my book so carefully..I can at least leaf back through the story and replay it all.

Business is moving forward-we are picking up lots of Teaching Assistant students and should be very busy indeed. New Horizons Education Ltd are establishing well at the moment-I am looking forward to getting down to some work next week.

News on the Furness Abbey Fellowship front-our account has £120 plus and we have some extremely exciting plans ahead. We had an entirely successful meeting with Clea Warner from English Heritage last week and I am excited about the future prospects.

On the book front-Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle is progressing well-lots of people buying it and asking about it. Raven's Hoard is due on 1 November and I have approved the lovely book cover. Final proof reading is complete-hopefully no errors have slipped through this time! Just a matter of publicity and marketing now! I find this problematic as I feel its such a huge job and I am not sure how successful I am at it. I hope I can get a bit done in the next weeks and reach a wider audience. I still need more reviews and Facebook page likes...and retweets. A couple of famous recommendations wouldn't go amiss either! Any suggestions or assistance would be welcomed! And then...on with next book-Cistercian conspiracy!

The abbot's treasure returns...

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/rare-medieval-treasures-back-at-furness-abbey/

Very busy at the moment...can't decide whether to stick or twist! So pleased that English Heritage are returning the abbey treasure for another weekend visit. Maybe we will gain full custody instead of access visits soon-we can only hope..and insist! Furness Abbey Fellowship is almost there! We have well and truly launched now-we have set up the constitution, opened and account and done press releases...was on BBC Radio Cumbria-which you can catch on iplayer, and today we all had photos at the abbey -so it will be in the Evening Mail this week! Then we turn our attention to fund raising! Two Halloween ventures we will have a presence at are Abbey House Hotel on 28 October and Abbey Mill Cafe on 31st October...we hope to raise some coins and put these towards projects for the abbey and its regeneration! This has been a big piece of work and most time consuming...but very pleased that we have moved forward.

Second big task this summer-book signings. Don't know if its the recession but the sales have been less than last year and there don't seem to be as many people out and about. Also this silly weather has affected the shows and some have been cancelled! Yet the two local ones were great! Must work on the marketing! However, when you look at author royalties after deductions for some of the larger booksellers (you know who you are) I wonder why I bother with a price tag! I certainly won't be retiring any time soon! But then I love writing and sharing my work...so onward and upward!

Last but definitely not least the new venture. New Horizons Education Ltd-we have really made headway and will be in the new premises soon. Working on Moodle and setting up course work has been brilliant and we will be working tomorrow preparing for our new intake of students in September. Exciting times!

Talking of students...my youngest will be off to Leeds Trinity University soon-another big change...inevitable but painful nevertheless!I will adjust I expect but its another milestone I suppose that I can hardly believe I have passed! Tempus fugit!

It's a mad world...

Having had a birthday this week I am feeling very sage and wise...and I am the proud owner of a new ipad as well, so I also feel quite cool as this is a fairly up to date bit of kit! It certainly upset a few of the younger family members that I have one. 


For information, I have left Bluebirds Study Centre@ Barrow AFC and my colleague and I have set up our own company-New Horizons Education Ltd. We will be fully operative in September and are interviewing STLiS students now. We are both excited at the prospect and will be looking to develop our services to include children as well as adults. It seems a risk in the current climate, but quite frankly it will be great to be in charge of our own destiny and be able to create a service which has our own stamp on it. Watch this space...any interested parties can contact us via the facebook page or our email-gill.jepson@newhorizons-ltd.co.uk. We will be an accredited City and Guilds provider and will be in partnership with Cumbria Adult Education.


Well what on earth is happening to the Olympic debacle? It seems to me that the most obvious choice of personnel for security would have been the police and the army. However, the geniuses at the top subbed it out to G4S...and now its all gone pear shaped! What a surprise! Why employ amateurs to do a professional's job? Disgraceful! You tend to reap what you sow sometimes and the government have certainly done that! Now the armed services and police will have to step up to the mark yet again...despite already being demoralised and marginalised by cut backs and redundancies. Will they get any thanks? Doubtful! As usual they will be taken for granted and only the deficits and mistakes which are probably inevitable with so little time to plan and arrange strategy will be highlighted! What a mad world! Hopefully, this rush to fill the void will not result in gaps and opportunities for those intent on evil doings during the games. Good luck to all those police and servicemen who will be so heavily relied upon...and thank you.