Friday, 12 August 2011
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
Sunday, 22 May 2011
A Dark Interlude
The two birds came with the dusk.
Big and black, the colour of night. Bringing with them the chill of mid-winter and the scent of freshly fallen snow.
They flew in a straight north-west line, heavy wings disturbing the air with a breathy whup whup of sound. They stopped just once to feed: on the Slovakian Austrian border. Here they swooped down and gorged on a half-rotted carcass, picking the bones clean.
While they fed the ground temperature plummeted. People shivered, stared in disbelief at the unexpected flurry of snow. By the time the birds reached their destination they'd been on the wing for almost twenty-four hours.
For a while they followed the course of the A249, mirroring the dual carriageway as it wound its way towards and then over The Swale, the grey ribbon of water that separated the small Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent.
Then they cut across country. Losing height as they flew over boggy marshland; scattering the sheep that grazed there, startling lesser birds from their nests. As they sighted the lone house on the cliff edge they put down their legs, sharp talons extended.
The ravens landed on the roof with the barest whisper of sound.
Big and black, the colour of night. Bringing with them the chill of mid-winter and the scent of freshly fallen snow.
They flew in a straight north-west line, heavy wings disturbing the air with a breathy whup whup of sound. They stopped just once to feed: on the Slovakian Austrian border. Here they swooped down and gorged on a half-rotted carcass, picking the bones clean.
While they fed the ground temperature plummeted. People shivered, stared in disbelief at the unexpected flurry of snow. By the time the birds reached their destination they'd been on the wing for almost twenty-four hours.
For a while they followed the course of the A249, mirroring the dual carriageway as it wound its way towards and then over The Swale, the grey ribbon of water that separated the small Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent.
Then they cut across country. Losing height as they flew over boggy marshland; scattering the sheep that grazed there, startling lesser birds from their nests. As they sighted the lone house on the cliff edge they put down their legs, sharp talons extended.
The ravens landed on the roof with the barest whisper of sound.
Monday, 9 May 2011
War of The Word!
The world of books is gathering together its forces to declare war on ebooks, and their chosen weapon of mass destruction is the 'flipback book'.
The 'flipback book' was introduced in Holland in 2009, and is due to be released in the UK this summer. These books are pocket-sized, printed on wafer-thin paper and designed with a distinctive spine which enables the books to lie open on a table without support (sheer genius for those of us who like to read at the meal table!). Sales in Holland have already hit 1 million.
To quote: It would prove one of the most compelling ironies of the digital age if the winner of the Kindle-killer crown was an actual book.
The 'flipback book' was introduced in Holland in 2009, and is due to be released in the UK this summer. These books are pocket-sized, printed on wafer-thin paper and designed with a distinctive spine which enables the books to lie open on a table without support (sheer genius for those of us who like to read at the meal table!). Sales in Holland have already hit 1 million.
To quote: It would prove one of the most compelling ironies of the digital age if the winner of the Kindle-killer crown was an actual book.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Akasha Savage is papped!
My Saturday morning has got off to a funny start.
At 9.45am precisely ~ which is never a good time for me at the weekend ~ the local press were in my kitchen interviewing and taking photos of my alter ego, Akasha Savage. Bearing in mind I always do 'night duty' for my six week old grandson every Friday so his parents get a full night's kip...and I have to drive my daughter to her Saturday job for a 9am start, 9.45 is not a good hour to have my house invaded by a big tall bearlike man with a camera!
The photograper was supposed to turn up at 10.00am ~ I had been rushing around like a blue arsed fly to be ready for this time, was still doing my make-up when there came a knock at the door.
I was so not relaxed.
I dread to think what my pictures are going to look like in our local rag this week!
At 9.45am precisely ~ which is never a good time for me at the weekend ~ the local press were in my kitchen interviewing and taking photos of my alter ego, Akasha Savage. Bearing in mind I always do 'night duty' for my six week old grandson every Friday so his parents get a full night's kip...and I have to drive my daughter to her Saturday job for a 9am start, 9.45 is not a good hour to have my house invaded by a big tall bearlike man with a camera!
The photograper was supposed to turn up at 10.00am ~ I had been rushing around like a blue arsed fly to be ready for this time, was still doing my make-up when there came a knock at the door.
I was so not relaxed.
I dread to think what my pictures are going to look like in our local rag this week!
Friday, 29 April 2011
Proud to be British!
I have just spent an enjoyable few hours watching the TV coverage of Prince William & Kate Middleton's wedding. It was such a wonderful event to watch. She looked like a fairy tale princess and I wish them all the happiness in the world.
Congrats Wills & Kate xx
No one does it like the British!!
Congrats Wills & Kate xx
No one does it like the British!!
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