No prizes for rambling

The last couple of weeks have allowed me to escape from the originally snow-bound prison, much more. We have even seen some sunshine, which has allowed us to reside in a fool’s paradise, since I hear that yet more snow is forecast in the coming week.

However, during the last couple of weeks, I have been to a regular meeting at Guildford Writers, during which I read a first draft of part of my latest story. The lack of enthusiasm sent me back to the drawing board, and I’ve rewritten it a further three times, each time allowing a day’s grace, to look at it afresh. I think it’s improved now, and will take it once again on this coming Tuesday, when the intrepid travellers returned from India (Irene and Jennifer) will hopefully be in attendance again, with tales of their holiday.

Other social events included a visit from bro-in-law, a visit to the OM’s aunt, last Sunday, and a wedding, yesterday, to Eltham Palace, not far from Greenwich, the childhood home of king Henry VIII, although, to quote from the website, all that remains of the vast original palace is the Great Hall, which is where the ceremony and dinner took place.

In the 1930s, the remains of Eltham Palace were bought by the wealthy artistic couple Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, who designed and built a mansion in art deco style at the site that incorporated the Great Hall. We took a tour around the building, which added an extra dimension to the wedding of our young friends – the groom, known to us since he was a year old baby, just a month older than our daughter. We didn’t get to bed till past 1.00 a. m., so are somewhat shattered today.

With the other Goldenford members home again, we carried out a presentation at Bramley Library for one of their two reading circles, at which we were made very welcome, and were happy to sell copies of our books to them. Because two meetings had to be condensed into one, as a previous one had been postponed because of the January weather, we kept our talk to a mere ten minutes each, and in this were far more restrained than the host, groom and others during the wedding speeches. Speeches, like articles, I feel, should be edited and all ramblings excluded. We have another Bramley talk in a few weeks, though we may be a little more self indulgent, with another five minutes each, to play with.

My copy of Writers’ News arrived during the week, with a piece about Irene, in it, and also a surprise for me, in that a letter I sent, criticising the way Amazon deals with small and mid-list publishers, was their ‘Star Letter’. I look forward to receiving from the a copy of Writers’ Market 2010, as my prize. Needless to say, it was carefully written and reread before being sent off. Spontaneity doesn’t always win prizes.