Glorious Poppies
Like other flowers, poppies seem to be blooming earlier each summer with climate change. It came to my attention four years ago in May when I was on holiday in Tuscany. I shrilled with joy...
Stepping Back in Time
Enchantment was instant as I walked through the entrance of what must be Cornwall’s first attraction after crossing the border from Devon. Mary Newman’s Cottage imparts a fascinating tale, portraying 16th-century life, especially that of...
Keeping in Touch
I do like to mooch around boot fairs and back in 1999 bought a book with news, hints and stories written throughout 1876/77. I wrote to the Between Friends page in The People’s Friend about...
Pentillie Paradise
“I knew we hadn’t been here,” I said to Mr Word Loft. I pointed out the crenellated rooftop of the grand two-storey building of Pentillie Castle as we veered up the driveway. Before leaving home,...
Unlikely Companions
I attended eight nature poetry workshops, Wild Words Plymouth, over the last two months, and I’m delighted that one of my poems, inspired by a visit to the park, was published by International Times. Unlikely...
Clay, Nature and Writing Inspiration
I’ve always been intrigued by Cornwall’s china clay industry. So was delighted when scrolling through Instagram to discover creative writing workshops being held at Wheal Martyn Clay Works and Museum. I took part in two...
Alluring Lanhydrock
Whatever the season, Lanhydrock House never disappoints me, and I was eager to see the newly refurbished nursery, which I hadn’t seen before. Late spring is endearing, the landscape a blast of colour. Bluebells share...
Around and Around
I’ve never seen a house with sixteen sides before. A la Ronde looks like it has been taken from a town in Italy, sprinkled with whimsical charm and then situated in the Devonshire countryside. Seeing...
Seashells on the Seashore
I often write about nature, especially inspired by beach trips. Last year, I was delighted to have a poem, The Gift of Shells, published in a national magazine and with summer on the horizon, I...
A Storybook Village
I can’t resist going to Mousehole whenever I’m near. I’ve been to the Cornish fishing village on numerous occasions. Stayed there for a weekend with Mr Word Loft, and holidayed there for a week in...