A village within a village, Watts Gallery Artists' Village sits just on the edge of the village of Compton in Surrey. It was the home of GF Watts and his wife Mary and is made up of their home, still working studios, an art gallery, and a cemetery which holds the Watts Cemetery Chapel. Watts... Continue Reading →
You can't turn on the TV or flip through a magazine without being told how unhealthy we're all becoming. And whilst no-one has the perfect lifestyle, writing isn't the healthiest occupation there is. Yes, you're exercising your mind and being creative, but are you taking care of yourself in other ways? Whether you write full-time... Continue Reading →
Aldous Huxley's died on the same day as C.S. Lewis, which is unfortunate timing, to say the least. But in an almost unbelievable twist of fate, both of these famous writers had their passing overshadowed by the assassination of President John F Kennedy, which occurred the very same day. Aldous Huxley now lies in an... Continue Reading →
Places are something that I've always found inspiring. The Museum of the History of Science is an inspiring place. Less so because of the setting (which is still grand as a lot of buildings are in Oxford), and more because of the objects it holds. The museum is open Tues-Sun, from 12pm-5pm. It's also free... Continue Reading →
Oh look another ruined building! If you're a regular reader, you'll know these pop up a lot, but this one has a twist - it was ruined on purpose. Scotney Old Castle sits in lovely landscaped grounds, below Scotney New Castle, a Victorian house built to replace it between 1835 and 1843. If you didn't... Continue Reading →
Is it a cliche to do a New Years post every year? Ah, who cares, it's my blog and I'll post if I want to. A new home and new job I won't go into state-of-the-world stuff - you don't need me to remind you about all that. But personally, I've had a bit of... Continue Reading →
A successful blog needs visitors, and a lot of advice will tell you that fresh, frequent posting is the only way to get them. But this year I had the most visits and visitors to my blog since I started in 2013 - and published half the number of posts I did back then. How?... Continue Reading →
These days most of us write using a digital device, be it a PC, laptop, or even phone. Before that, we had word processors, typewriters, and the printing press. Each of these inventions has given us the ability to get more words, to more people, in the quickest possible way. But some argue that writing... Continue Reading →
It's nearly Christmas and we're all looking for the perfect gift. If you have a bookworm or literary lover to buy for, then here are five ideas for presents that should make them happy on the big day. Bookstore candle - Frostbeard Ah the smell of books. Whether it be the fresh paper scent of... Continue Reading →
However much I may want to write, there are times it just isn't happening and this can make me feel like a failure. People often think writers write no matter what, bashing out their perfectly plotted story, full of well-rounded characters that always behave with no issues whatsoever. Aha aha aha. But really, writing is... Continue Reading →
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