4. Dartmouth, Devon, UK

Day 4 of the A to Z Challenge and I'm off to Dartmouth in Devon.  My husband and I stayed nearby on our very first holiday together in 1989 and have some happy memories of this part of the world - not least because THE WHOLE WEEK WAS HOT AND SUNNY!  I can honestly say that we haven't been that lucky on any holiday in the UK since!
We visited lots of places on that holiday, but Dartmouth is especially memorable for three reasons:

1. We arrived there by boat from Brixham
2. It's a lovely little place, full of winding lanes and wonky buildings
3. We got told off while we were there!

The telling off is obviously the most exciting part!  We were sitting in a little park-type-place somewhere near the harbour, eating fish and chips with our fingers (the best way!) and enjoying the weather, when we were (inevitably) bombarded by seagulls.  Being young and soft-hearted, we threw a few chips for the poor, hungry little darlings.  Immediately, we were swooped upon by a pewter-haired dragon in pearls and red lipstick who shrieked: "You are asked not to feed the gulls!"  Honestly, I swear she hadn't been anywhere in view beforehand - it was as though she'd just materialised from nowhere!  Shamefaced and flushing a shade of red to put her lipstick into the shade, we finished the chips off ourselves (despite bold attempts from the gulls) and got out of there as fast as we could.  (Well, we were young!)  It has given us some laughs over the years, though, as my husband has perfected an impression of her.  Every time we see someone feeding seagulls he springs into action and has freaked out many a holidaymaker.  Maybe there is someone, somewhere, who likes to tell the story of the day they were feeding gulls when a mad man told them off in a screechy voice...

3. Colchester - Britain's Oldest Recorded Town!

Only day three and my travels have brought me home already.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Yes, I have to confess that I am an Essex Girl - although I'm always quick to add that Colchester is very close to the Suffolk border!

Not surprisingly, I feel quite at home in Colchester!  The town centre isn't too bad (probably the same quota of boarded up shops as anywhere else at the moment), it's only a half hour's drive from the seaside, less than an hour from London by train, ten minutes from beautiful 'Constable Country' countryside and we get some of the best weather in the UK.

Being 'Britain's oldest recorded town', we also have Roman remains, a Norman castle, Norman churches and masses of interesting and well-preserved Medieval, Tudor, Regency and Victorian buildings.  I took some of the children from school on a walk into town recently and even I was amazed at the buildings we discovered that I'd simply walked past before.  This summer I'm planning on going on the guided 'ghost walk'.  Who knows, it might just offer up some inspiration for a story...  Here are some of my favourite buildings and remains!

Colchester Castle - completed around 1100

The remains of St Botolph's Abbey - Augustinian - founded around 1100

The Roman Gateway - The Balkerne Gate (and next to it The Hole in the Wall - the only pub left in town that hasn't turned into some sort of night-club!)

 

Medieval cottages on the River Colne, which runs through the town

The Rose and Crown Hotel, a 13th century coaching inn

Hollytrees House - now a museum - which is in the Castle Park (so named because that is also where you'll find the castle!)

    Thanks for stopping by!  Come and visit me sometime - I'd love to take you around Colchester!

2. Brussels, Belgium

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Today, I'm in Brussels,
home of waffles,
chocolates,

sprouts

and Mannekin-Pis!


Incase you haven't heard of Mannekin-Pis, it's statue of a little man doing... exactly what it sounds as if he's doing!
 I have only visited Brussels once, but it was quite a memorable visit...  I was 19 at the time and my then-boyfriend and I had travelled there by coach for a long weekend.  There had been some sort of mix-up with over-bookings at the hotel and we (probably because we were the youngest and looked the most gullible) were tranferred to another hotel on arrival.  WELL...  The bed sheets were dirty, the toilet was stained brown and had a filthy ORANGE loo seat that was hanging off.  It was also on the very edge of town.  In my best schoolgirl French (mostly acquired in Avignon - as detailed in yesterday's post!) I told the woman at the desk we would not be staying there because it was "dégoûtant" (disgusting, skanky, revolting - you name it!).  When a representative from the travel company arrived, she bustled us away at top speed and put us in a perfectly acceptable hotel.  I heard her explaining (in French) to the concierge of the new hotel that we had been put in "the hotel the prostitutes use".  (I did wonder if we'd been given the coach driver's room, poor bloke!)  After that, we had a brilliant time and I've always meant to go back.  Here are some pics... 

Apologies for being useless and not making the photos fit in prettily - I couldn't figure out how to move them apart from left, centre, right!

Before you dash off, any chance you could visit Margo Kelly's blog as she's launching a book drive today for Columbia High School.  Thanks!

1. Avignon, south-east France

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/



Well! The first day of the A to Z Challenge has arrived already! I've decided to do an A to Z of places - not very original, perhaps, but I have chosen places special to  me and also places I'd like to visit one day.

My first destination is Avignon, France, because my home town (more to follow when we get to C!) is twinned with Avignon and I stayed there on a two-week French Exchange when I was 14.

I stayed with a girl called Nathalie who lived with her mum and older sister (Cécile) in a slightly cramped 'apartement'.  I don't think I'd ever been inside a flat, believe it or not, so it felt quite exotic and very foreign. Missing my mum, I cried my eyes out for the first two nights, but once I'd got over the shock of being so far from home, those two weeks turned into something amazing.  I grew so much during that fortnight - I grew independent,  I grew resilient, I grew much better at French, and I grew up.  Nathalie had grandparents living in Orange, a wonderful Roman town full of ancient remains.  We went together on the train and stayed for a weekend.  The villa they lived in was amazing - all white tiled floors, ensuite bathrooms and, best of all, a swimming pool.  I had literally stepped into another world!  
Before the French Exchange, I was a real home-bird and not very confident about being away from my family.  I can honestly say it changed my life.  That same year, my parents divorced and if it hadn't been for the fact that I'd already spent time away from home and found my inner strength, I don't think I'd have coped with it and come out as unscathed as I did. In a way, my trip to Avignon set me up for life. 
So, thank you for so much, sunny Avignon!  Here are some pics.



 
et, finalement,
Orange

Getting Ready for A to Z!

With more full day to go until the A to Z April Challenge starts, I thought I'd give it a little plug - and also those taking part, who are all listed below.

I wracked my brains for ages before deciding what to do, finally settling on PLACES - either places I love that have happy memories or places I'd like to visit.  Oh, and the occasional place that just fitted the letter of the day...
I was going to do something to do with writing and in a way I still have, as many of these places have inspired me or are lodged in my mind for future reference.  I've also had stories published that I set in a couple of them, so it is writing-linked in a way.  I know it doesn't have to be, but as this is basically a writing blog...

I'm really looking forward to reading lots of entries over the next 30 days.  I hope you'll join me!  (I'm #862 on the list - if you're taking part, what number are you?  Let me know so I can make sure I read your entries!)

Hosting Patsy Collins - Escape to the Country blog tour!

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Patsy whose novel, Escape to the Country (isn't the cover great?  I love her tights!) is released on 30th March.  You can read the first chapter here to whet your appetite!

It's going to be available in bookshops and from Amazon or Waterstones online shops and there will also be an e-book version.  Personally, I can't wait to read it as Patsy has had some cracking short stories published and I'm sure her novel will be just as enjoyable!

Without further ado, let's get down to business...

Hi Patsy!  You've had a lot of short stories published - was writing a novel a challenge in terms of keeping up the momentum and not tying up the ends of the story too soon?

It was a challenge in that there's a lot more of it than in a short story so it's harder to keep track of everything and be consistent throughout. In a way, although it's all told from Leah's pov, Escape to the Country is several stories - there's the crime story, the romance, the development of Leah's agricultural skills, then there's the story of Jayne and Jim. I think weaving all those together helped me keep the momentum going.

Tying it all together at the end seemed to come naturally with this one. That's not always the case.

Everyone seems to have their own way of writing - did you have a meticulously drawn up plan for Escape to the Country?

No! I knew how I expected it to end and had thought out a few key scenes, but I worked out how to get from one to another as I went along. That's what works for me as if I get an interesting idea halfway through I can incorporate it without messing anything up.

 

When did you first start writing and what was the first thing you had published?

I started writing seriously (or at any rate as serious as I'm likely to get) ten years ago. My first published and paid for story was a 60 worder in Chat magazine in 2003. My first short story publication was to The Lady in 2005.

 

When you meet people for the first time, do you tell them you're a writer?

I haven't done, but that's not because I hadn't previously considered myself a writer. I am a writer - maybe it's time I started telling people so?

 

It definitely is!  Did you mull over the plot of Escape to the Country for a long time before writing it, or did it all come spurting out suddenly in a spontaneous fountain of creativity?

 

I thought a bit, spurted a bit, thought some more, spurted some more ...

Do you have a favourite word?

I like almost all words when they're well used.

And finally, how do you feel right now?

I'm still feeling a bit like this - http://youtu.be/0CS2eQoYTdk

 

So would I be!  Congratulations Patsy! 

Tagged!

Margo Kelly tagged me a little while back, but I never was any good at playing tag!  Finally, I have accepted that I am IT and am going to fulfill the conditions of the tag and try to catch a few people to tag in return!  Sorry I'm such a slow runner, Margo!

So... I have to tell you ten things about myself and then tag ten more people.  I apologise in advance if the people I tag have already been tagged - don't feel obliged to play again!

Here goes, then!

1.  I'm an Aquarian so hate being tied down (not literally - behave!) or restricted in any way.
2.  My brain doesn't always connect before my mouth has done its work.
3.  I make cakes for people and decorate them in my own style - a recent one I did for our school site manager had sick and dog poo on it (made from icing, don't worry!)
4.  I love kids but I'm glad mine have grown up (15 and 19)
5.  I have a bit of a thing about colourful coats - I keep buying them (mostly on Ebay).
6.  I don't drink any more as I seem to have developed an allergy to it - but I'm thrilled to say I don't miss it a bit!
7.  I spend too much time looking in the mirror and posing around - or shop windows will do...
8.  I'm brilliant at keeping secrets - you can tell me anything.  (I'm also very good at not looking shocked when you do!)
9.  I've been friends with my best friend since I was 11.
10.  I'm pretty rubbish at dieting - but being thinner gives me a scraggy neck anyway.

Your turn!  I'm tagging these people, but anyone else who wants to play can consider themself tagged!

Annalisa Crawford
Anita Chapman
Gwen
Judy Jarvie
Rebecca Bradley
Morton Gray
Rachel Lyndhurst
Heather Murphy
Sharon
Tracy at The Literary Pig

Run fast and den only counts if you've got both feet on it!