• Living Between the Lines

    Summer’s End

    What a way to bring summer to a close! The past three weekends have been amazing. After more than 18 months of restrictions and lockdowns we opened up our garden and finally got friends and family together in one place. 1st: Came my youngest son’s 30th birthday party which he held in our garden (30, How did that happen?) – It was a far cry from the teenage parties of yesteryear! The thing about 30 year olds is, they are grown up and they willingly help tidy up afterwards. 2nd: Lisa’s 50th birthday party – also held in our garden with the same marquee, this time with a pizza van…

  • Living Between the Lines,  Tidbits - the written word

    The Real Ghost Girl

    Having drawn on my own childhood for part of the Ghost Girl at Angel Cottage, I thought it only fair to relate one of the events that led me to write this story in the first place. It was a warm summer’s day back in the early sixties. I was probably about 6 years old or perhaps younger, playing on the stone steps set in my Grandparents’ back garden, in the village of Writtle. Cottages lay either side of us. My grandparents’ house was set back from the road, behind wrought iron railings. (A sad tale (tail) occurred here, during the war when the railings were removed for the war…

  • Living Between the Lines

    The Angel

    A quick story that may make your spine tingle… When clearing out my late mother’s house a few weeks ago, I found the Christmas Angel which had adorned our childhood Christmas trees for as long as I could remember. This, the angel who inspired the very angel mentioned in my novel, The Ghost Girl at Angel Cottage. Naturally, I was moved to keep the angel. This morning, having put up our Christmas tree, a little early for me this year (like many, I wanted to shrug off the current restrictions and threats with some early Christmas cheer) I stood back to admire it and realised that there was one thing…

  • Living Between the Lines

    12 weeks later…

    Well, here we are, 12 weeks into lockdown and I don’t think anyone has gone crazy yet, not me, at least.What have the past twelve weeks been like for you? I hope you have stayed safe.I have summarised my experience(s) in a short, light hearted, photographic diary. I have deliberately kept it light, these are the good memories…we hear enough bad news as it is! A photographic diary, “Lockdown in a nutshell – the good side” So, lockdown is easing, cautiously, (still no hugs with those gorgeous grandchildren) but beginning to see signs of life and a new normality out there…Today, I began work on another novel, whilst leaving the…

  • Living Between the Lines

    The Sun is Shining

    Thank goodness the sun is shining and has continued to shine for the past few weeks. Spring has truly sprung. So, what are the highpoints of this time spent shutting ourselves away like lepers? I have thought of a few: 1. Hand clapping the amazing NHS every Thursday evening and feeling over emotional and humble throughout and hearing that my 6 year old grandson is so proud to be clapping for his Daddy who is a policeman and his uncle who is a paramedic. 2. Seeing the grandchildren hanging on the gate while I wave from a safe distance and listen to their news. 3. Video calling children and grandchildren…

  • Living Between the Lines,  Tidbits - the written word

    The Ghost Girl at Angel Cottage

    I just love the cover of my revamped novel, The Ghost Girl at Angel Cottage, created by my talented daughter, Zoe, of ZoeBarkerDesign. As Christmas approaches, I just wanted to showcase it here. It is available on Amazon as a paperback and ebook. The Ghost Girl at Angel Cottage is a time slip novel set in 1943, 1963 and 2012. I have tried to be as truthful to the times as I can and researched references to real events before including them. I am, first and foremost, a story-teller and I hope I can entertain you with this multi-layered tale. (Previously published as Once Upon a Christmas Eve.) All that…