The Repair Shop - great television

If you haven’t watched this BBC programme let me recommend it. Especially if you want to see damaged items repaired. Not just any old items but well used ones being lovingly mended by experts. Maybe beloved family reminders, others may have been dropped and a few are antiques.

Running the shop – as it were – is furniture restoration expert Jay Blades. Watch carpenter Will Kirk, especially as he carves a new piece of wood to match the antique he is repairing. (My carpenter Grandfather would have loved to watch him). Then there are brother and sister Steve and Suzie Fletcher. He is an expert on clocks and watches and she works wonders with leather. Also in some of the programmes are Kirsten Ramsay who deals with ceramics (ever seen the number of pieces a dropped plate can create?) Dominic is the blacksmith and I mustn’t forget the doll ladies who clean up, re-make or whatever it takes to bring over-loved dolls and teddy bears back to life.

These wonderful experts – and others – are at The Repair Shop at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton, West Sussex. I should emphasise that they aren’t there 24/7 but plying their trades for this really interesting television show.

For more information you can contact

BBC.co.uk/shows and tours/takepart/the_repair_shop

In Love with Georgette Heyer

I was first introduced to the books of Georgette Heyer in my early teens when a teacher read ‘Friday’s Child’ to us.

Over the decades I have read all of her books – Regency and Mystery – several times. I suspect that every teenaged girl read the Regency novels as romances. But after reading them when a bit older you realise that they are a brilliant insight into High Society in that period. Whenever you read them a second – or more – times you begin to see how witty (in some cases – hilarious) they are.

Georgette Heyer researched everything about that period – clothes, food, transport, manners, speech. She became an expert on the period and was a bloody good writer.

In the 1960s I was working for a mining magazine and it turned out that one ‘elderly’ gentleman there had been a mining engineer and was friends with Georgette Heyer’s husband – who had also been a mining engineer. When I told him how much I admired the writer’s work he said he would introduce me. Unfortunately he died before that could happen.

Thanks to Amazon Kindle I am now beginning my own collection of Georgette Heyer books.

Incidentally, Joan Aiken Hodge wrote a superb biography of Georgette Heyer entitled ‘The Private World of Georgette Heyer'. Paperback available on Amazon.

Winter Shopping

Yes, I know it is only autumn but for me any temperature below 16c (61f) is cold!!! I do try to put off switching on any heating (fortunately heaters in each room - don't have central heating!) until absolutely necessary. And, no, not yet into the thermals! Well, got to have something extra put on when it gets really, really, really cold.

Of course - as for most of us - this is the time to start checking the winter clothing. Two pairs of trousers and a jacket from Bon Marche. Unfortunately I seemed to have something wrong with my brain the first time I went in there and bought size 20. Eh????? Obviously took them back and changed them for the smaller size (no not telling you!). Fortunately the jacket was too tight round the armholes so I just changed that. It actually made me look like the Michelin Man (remember him?).

Just ordered a jacket on line. The only colour available in my size was 'ochre' a yellowish colour. Wanted the blue (what I call peacock blue but think it has changed its name these days). Have no idea whether the colour will suit me but we will find out when it is delivered.

Sweaters? Got plenty of them and am currently knitting a twin set - cardi in scarlet and pullover in yellow. Should cheer me up! 

Kissing a dolphin in the waters just off Mexico
(in the Gulf of Mexico).
A reminder of warmer days! 

Trouble in Trewith Green

This is the opening of the 5th Cleo Marjoribanks murder mystery. Not a good start to the day when a body is found outside her home....

As I pulled up in front of the elegant Georgian house I had to sigh. So beautiful. No, I'm not jealous

of friend's home. If I lived in one like this I'd have to quieten down and become more ladylike. My Edwardian mock-Tudor is better for a slightly overweight, red-headed Eastender driving a Land Rover around the New Forest.

'Come on through to the kitchen, Cleo,' Paula Linley invited me in.

Informal then, I mused as I followed her down the hall. Wonder what this urgent matter is all about? Hope it's nothing to do with Maggie. She's Paula's teenage daughter who hasn't, yet, discovered boys.

'Morning, Stella,' I greeted the young woman sitting at the table, a mug of coffee in front of her.

'Morning, Cleo. Thanks for coming over. I am afraid that it is my fault,' the clipped accent told me.

'Coffee?' Paula asked as I sat down.

'Please. Any gingerbread?'

'No, but I do have some bun loaf.'

'Great. And lashings of butter, please.'

Once we were settled I looked from one to the other of them. 'What's up?'

Paula waved a hand in Stella's direction. 'It's your story.'

The younger woman sighed. 'You know my Mother and Paula were at school together?' The milk chocolate brown eyes looked at me. I nodded.

'Well there was another lady who was at school with them. Caroline Warner.'

Paula took up the story. 'She married Jonathan and they have two daughters.'

Why the life story? 'And all this is interesting because.....?' I asked.

Stella ran a hand through her fluffy brown hair. Hey! She's got some highlights. Should have noticed that before. 'The thing is, Cleo, you will think I am making things up.'

'Such as an overactive imagination?'

'Maybe.'

'Spit it out.'

'What?'

I grinned. 'Sorry, one of my Gran's sayings.' I waved a hand at her. 'Go on.'

'Caroline died of cancer a couple of years ago.'

'And?' Unfortunately too many people still die of cancer.

'Her husband died a couple of weeks ago.'

Silence.

'What of?' I finally asked.

'Fell off a ladder.'

Yeah, that'll do it. 'I assume he was quite high up or something?'

Stella nodded. 'Cleaning the gutters.'

Another silence and Stella finished her coffee. Replacing the mug on the table she took a deep breath. 'The thing is, Cleo, I don't think that was an accident.'

'As in was he pushed?'


https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DJBANEO

Also available on KOBO. 

'MURDER IN MITCHAM PARVA'

Here is the opening to the fourth Cleo Marjoribanks murder mystery.....

I don't believe it!  Only back from Spain for a few weeks and there's another body. No, I haven't found another one as I did when David and I were on holiday.  Apparently there's been a murder in another village in the Forest - that's the New Forest in Hampshire.

This morning before Mrs. Walsh - who 'does' for me - had unpacked her overall and put on the kettle (sorry - switched on the kettle) she was in full spate with the news.

'Had a terrible shock,' she told me in her New Forest burr. 'Linda's dead.'

'Who?'

'My friend, Linda'

'Sorry to hear that.  Was she ill?'

'No-o-o.  Murdered.'  She wrung her hands.  Yeah, honest she did.  She only needed a puzzled look from me to continue, 'Her husband found 'er in the garding this morning.  She went out to bingo in their church 'all last night and didn't come 'ome.'

'Wasn't he worried?'

She shook her head which is now a strange chocolate brown with blue tips and whispered. 'Separate bedrooms.'

'He wouldn't know she'd stopped out.'

'Right, but I don't know why 'e didn't notice at breakfast.'

'Letting her have a lie in?'

'Nah.  She works at Mitcham Manor.  Cleaning, like me, so she'd 'ave ter be up early.'

'You said she was murdered?' I reminded her.

'Head bashed in.'

Yup, that'd kill someone. 'Oh dear.  How did you find out?'

'One of their neighbours phoned ter tell me and ask if I've got 'n hour or two ter spare today if they need someone ter fill in at the Manor.'

Her phone played 'My Way' - she's a Frank Sinatra fan - and she rummaged in her bag for it. That's when I noticed that her nails match the blue in her hair.

When she'd finished the call and was jotting something in her Filofax I asked, 'Why do you still have a Filofax? You can put all that info onto the phone.'

'Don't know how to. This is a new one my 'usband give me.' She snorted. 'A phone's a phone. That's all I need. It's easier ter plan my weeks with the Filofax.'

Rather like me and my calendar. Incidentally, she's a bit older than me.  I think somewhere in her fifties and, so my friend Paula tells me, is always formal. Calls all her clients Mrs. or Miss - whatever. We've decided it must be a family trait as it seems all her family worked in service. You know, maids and things in the big houses.

Mug of tea and two biscuits later Mrs. Walsh finally got started on the work and I went to my office - or study or whatever you want to call it - and phoned Paula.



Sorry, but the cover seems to have gone AWOL!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00V3CX074

Also available on Kobo. 

Lovely morning but....

Summer has arrived - hurray! And this morning my writer friend, Roberta Grieve, and I met for coffee. As we are both busy ladies with our writing we don't get together often enough so there is always lots to talk about.

Except.... this morning when we were sitting inside the cafe - with its doors open - and had difficulty hearing each other because of a very loud street singer (C&W) 'entertaining' shoppers. Bad enough having to put up with 'background music' inside shops without being force-fed it when trying to enjoy cup of coffee and chat. Time to find another coffee shop - away from the madding crowd!

Left me wondering how many customers, like us, the shops in London Road, Bognor Regis, lose due to the unwanted noise?

Wake up, Bognor, when people are shopping or wanting to chat they DON'T need intrusive noise. 

'A Favourite Aunt' by Christina.

This is the opening to my book 'A Favourite Aunt' based on events that happened to many women in the 1960s. This was before the Marital Laws changed in the early 1970s thus making it easier for women - they could get restraining orders on their abusive husbands! Prior to that they either 'put up' with the abuse or did what I did - left! Unfortunately the law was still on the side of the husbands. 

'I can't thank you enough for your help, Christina,' the distinguished white-haired gentleman sitting across from her raised his glass to the grey-eyed woman whose dark hair showed auburn lights.

The woman smiled fondly at him. 'No problem, Robert. With the support you and Mary

have given me over the years, it's the least I could do.'

'But your comments and corrections have made the book so much better.' Actor Robert Denby had now completed his autobiography to the publisher's satisfaction and had brought Christina to his favourite restaurant tucked away in the City of London. Away from autograph hunters. 'The time you spent on the manuscript must have cut into your work time.'

'Don't worry about it. It does me good to get away from my own writing. That is why I also write travel articles.'

'Ah yes. As when I take a break from Shakespeare and do something a little more lighthearted.'

They continued with their meal, then Robert, his brown eyes twinkling, surprised his companion. 'Christina, why don't you write your autobiography?'

'What?' She grinned, her eyes open wide in surprise. 'I'm not famous. No one would buy it, even if I managed to get it published.'

'Okay, so you're no Agatha Christie, but your travel books do sell well.'

'Not phenomenally. Why do you think I also went out to work until I almost reached retirement age? I needed a steady income to pay the bills.'

'Mmm. It's a pity you never bought your own place.'

'You know why I couldn't. I'm a woman. Back in the 1960s women couldn't get a mortgage.' She grinned ruefully, 'Not that that would have helped many of us. Our wages only just covered the rent on a bed-sit with hot and cold running water and a gas ring.'

'Which is why you should write your autobiography. To let people know how hard life was for single women of our generation and in your circumstances especially. I often wonder how many of you survived to make a success of your lives?'

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072LK5GNV
Also available in paperback and

Available on KOBO.