Reviews

I've had a few reviews recently that have left me breathless with delight. One from a reader on Amazon who has spent much of his working life as a teacher of teenagers Click here

Another from novelist Linda Gillard who writes as a self-confessed landlubber and (I suspect) only came to read the Salt Stained Book because she was stuck in a hospital waiting room.

And a whole generous page in The Oldie from my heroine Rosie Boycott

On Friday April 13th ...

Francis's shed (aka study, studio, library, garden room, sactum, retreat) burned down very very fast and everything he kept here was destroyed. It's hard to over state what he's lost - except, as he has been quick to point out himself, NO ONE was injured or lost their lives. As there was a 10000 mains power cable hanging down, un noticed n the darkness, this was indeed fortunate. As was the ready help from our neighbours which stopped the oil tank going up znd possibly the fire spreading to the tall tree nearby which could have come down on the house.

The out pouring of sympathy and kindness from our friends - and even some people Francis has never met - has been a great support.

You are standing into danger!

How lovely it is to work with Claudia - and how lucky we are to have hawk-eyed friends like Peter Dowden (and Andrew Craig-Bennett - the man who knoes about dragon's toes). My article on Working with an Illustrator for the indie e-book review 

Marine Quarterly

Latest number of the Marine Quarterly arrived today. Looks lovely, smells good, includes Richard Woodman on tea clipper captains, Brian Callison on Richard Woodman (reviewing The Real Cruel Sea), masthead drawings by Claudia Myatt and a review of A Ravelled Flag. Bliss it is to be alive!

The two boat family - if only ...

Neat little article by Claire Holmes in The Suffolk Magazine. Life on Goldenray as we wish it was. Exhausted myself on Saturday trying to clear some of the GROT before Claudia arrived for a few days. Long to see F able to be scrambling about in his panama again