3 Things All Writers Can Learn From…Realism

One more addition to my "3 Things" series (there's a whole bunch, go check them out). Now we're onto realism. 1) How to make things feel authentic Realism needs to feel authentic - but this can apply to other genres too. Unless you want to go out into a surrealistic narrative, having a thread of... Continue Reading →

Robin Hood: Prince of “Trees” – Sycamore Gap, Northumberland, UK

If you're of a certain age (hello) or any kind of film fan, then you'll doubtless recognise the photos in this post. Known as Sycamore Gap - or Robin Hood Gap which probably gives the game away - this part of Hadrians Wall is famous for featuring in the epic 90s classic "Robin Hood: Prince... Continue Reading →

The Witcher In The Wild – Fountain Abbey And Rydal Cave

If you're a fan of anything in the fantasy genre, you're probably aware of "The Witcher". The series started as books, then became video games, and now it's a popular TV series on Netflix. I became familiar with "The Witcher" via the games first, then the TV series, and now I'm trying out the books... Continue Reading →

A Hideout For A Murderer – Burn O’Vat, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Hidden away in the Cairngorms, lies the Burn O'Vat, an ancient place once used by the notorious outlaw known as "Gilderoy". Found in the Muir of Dinnet National Natural Reserve, this wonder of geology is only a short walk from the closest car park but does require a bit of a scramble to actually get... Continue Reading →

The POW Camp For Nazis Run By Jewish Officers – Featherstone, UK

One of the things I like about exploring is finding out the history of a place - the stories it holds essentially. A case in point is Featherstone Prisoner Of War camp in Northumberland. When I looked into what happened there, I discovered a number of fascinating facts. Firstly, in 1944 it was one of... Continue Reading →

When The Romans Ruled – Vindolanda, Northumberland, UK

I've been on holiday and that means I've found a bunch of new inspiring places to blog about - so be prepared for a deluge over the next few weeks. Let's start by wheeling back in time to when the Romans ruled Britain. Vindolanda was a Roman fort and Vicus (self-governing village), located just south... Continue Reading →

A Formidable Presence – The Grave Of Rebecca West, Brookwood Cemetery

Born Cicily Isabel Fairfax in 1892, Rebecca West was a writer, literary critic, and journalist, named "indisputably the world's number one woman writer" by Time magazine in 1947. Both a CBE and DBE, West died in 1983 and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery. Cicily took the pseudonym "Rebecca West" from the rebellious young heroine in "Rosmersholm" by Henrik Ibsen... Continue Reading →

Defence, Mystery, And Experimental Weapons – Brean Down Fort, Somerset, UK

Brean Down is a natural pier, protruding out between Weston-Super-Mare and Burnham-On-Sea in Somerset. At its very end lies what remains of Brean Down Fort, an eerie ruin. The Down appears to have had settlements on it from the early to middle bronze age. Some Roman artifacts have also been recovered there. Brean Down Fort... Continue Reading →

Climbing Into Legend – Glastonbury Tor, Somerset, UK

Glastonbury is a place long entwined with myth and legend, most famously that of King Arthur. Even today it's a pace that attracts those with an alternative bent, and the town is filled with shops selling crystals, herbs, and various Pagan items. If you're interested, I also have a post about Glastonbury Abbey. But today... Continue Reading →

More Than A War Poet – Siegfried Sassoon’s Grave, Somerset, UK

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eyeWho cheer when soldier lads march by,Sneak home and pray you'll never knowThe hell where youth and laughter go.”Suicide in Trenches, Siegfried Sassoon You'll find the grave of Siegfried Sassoon in the lovely small Somerset town of Mells. Sassoon is one of the most famous poets of the First World... Continue Reading →

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