Hello, and thank you for visiting my site. I hope that you'll return often and always find something of interest about my world and what inspires me to pick up a pen. (This is a figure of speech, unfortunately. My handwriting is terrible!) Here's what I've been up to recently...
An Evening with Andy Humphrey and Guests
An upper room in the Royal Oak on Goodramgate was the venue for the launch of Andy’s first full-length poetry collection, A Long Way To Fall. The place was bursting at the seams when I arrived just after 7.30 p.m. and more people squeezed in later; a tribute to Andy’s popularity and many hats. A great deal more about Andy can be gleaned from his own website http://andyhumphrey1971.webs.com/
There was much to enjoy on this fine if rather muggy evening in York. Guest performers included poets Ann Heath, Tanya Nightingale and James Nash and there were musical numbers from Rob Nightingale and Union Jill, all well known faces on the local scene.
Hearing Andy read is always a great pleasure and the audience listened with rapt attention to the poems he chose on this occasion.
Ripon Writers’ Group is looking forward to welcoming Andy and other members of York Writers to our showcase/open mic event on Tuesday, 9th July.
28 June, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
Pre-Swanwick reunion in Newcastle
One of my favourite weeks of the year is in August, when I go down to Derbyshire for the Writers’ Summer School. It’s known to writers all over the UK and many abroad simply as ‘Swanwick’, the name of the village in which it takes place.
The WSS, which has been going for over 60 years, takes over The Hayes Conference Centre from Saturday afternoon until Friday morning. During that time, 300 or so of us revel in the unique buzz of so many like minded people getting together to swap ideas and learn from a range of outside speakers. Full details of this year’s programme can be found at http://swanwickwritersschool.co.uk/
I first attended in 2006, when I was proud – and completely taken aback – to win a free place through the annual poetry competition. Later on, the first 1000 words of a story for children won me another free place, but I’ve been happy to pay my own way every other year and consider it money very well spent.
In between those wonderful weeks, Swanwickers like to keep in touch through the newsletter, social media sites and many individual arrangements. The photograph above was taken yesterday when a few of us got together for the day. As ever, the conversation flowed even more freely than the drink.
23 June, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
‘Quartet’ by the Ripon Rowel Players
Reviewing a play is always a pleasurable assignment and I was happy to oblige one fine Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. Having missed the film, I went along to the Ripon Spa Hotel with no preconceptions and had a thoroughly enjoyable time of it. The seating in the ballroom was cabaret style with optional refreshments during the performance and between acts, all of which contributed to the convivial atmosphere.
My review has appeared in full today in the local press. If anyone connected with the performance is away and unable to get hold of a copy, please let me know.
20 June, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
A literary visit
A perfect June evening was in store for Ripon Writers’ Group as we headed for Markenfield Hall. Only three miles south of Ripon on the A61 (but invisible from it) lies this rare example of a completely moated medieval manor house. Built in 1310, it has an extraordinary history and is now the home of Lady Deirdre Curteis and her husband, director, playwright and screenwriter Ian Curteis. Famous for his scripts for popular series such as Doomwatch, Crown Court, Hadleigh and The Onedin Line, Ian is even better known for his political dramas and his tussles with the BBC, particularly over The Falklands Play. At 78, he shows no sign of slowing down.
The inspiration for this event came from our Vice Chair, Lindsay, one of whose friends lives in a cottage on the estate. As well as arranging for Mr Curteis to give us a guided tour of the Hall and a talk about his long and distinguished writing career, Julia was kind enough to allow us to picnic in her garden beforehand, to the complete bemusement of the cattle in the fields beyond. For once, the weather was on our side and we had a glorious evening.
You might like to follow the link to the Group’s own website to see more photographs and learn what else we get up to.
5 June, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
E-book project now complete
At the start of 2013, I set myself the challenge to group some of my many short stories into themed collections and try them out as Amazon e-books. This wouldn’t have been accomplished without the technical expertise of my son Richard, to whom I’m eternally grateful. A compilation of all three books may follow and perhaps a print edition. Watch this space!
2 June, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
‘Platero’ at the Georgian Theatre Royal
Richmond, North Yorkshire, is only a half hour drive from Ripon and boasts a unique little theatre. Originally opened in 1788 by Samuel Butler, it hosted performances until 1848, after which it was taken over for use as a wine store and an auction house. Fortunately, the basic structure was retained and it re-opened as a theatre in 1963. A substantial grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund allowed it to be returned to its natural beauty but with the addition of modern bars and a lift.
The show I went to see this week was a very unusual one. Platero and I is a collection of tales by Nobel Prize winning poet Juan Ramon Jimenez that tell the story of a little silver donkey and his master as they wander round the village of Moguer in Andalusia. Backed by an acoustic guitar score performed by Craig Ogden and with Nino Namitcheishvili operating a truly magical little Platero and occasionally demonstrating her fine singing voice, Mike Maran told 30 of the best loved tales. The props on the spinning wooden set were simple but very effective as they showed different aspects of the village during the course of the year.
I soon forgot that Platero was a puppet and freely admit that I was in tears when he died at the end of the show.
More details can be had from www.mikemaran.com
31 May, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
Swings and Roundabouts
I’m delighted to announce that my third eBook, Swings and Roundabouts, has just gone live on Amazon.
While selecting the stories for this collection, I was reminded of a line in a song made famous by Frank Sinatra: ‘I figure whenever you’re down and out, the only way is up.’
Triumph can indeed spring from tragedy, although unfortunately the opposite can also be the case. These are not, however, tales of doom and gloom and I hope that you’ll find much to smile at and a fair number of surprises along the way.
28 May, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
D.C.Thomson
There has been a lot of discussion recently about the new contracts being rolled out for authors to sign before any new submissions are accepted. Some writers see these purely as a ‘rights grab’; others as their being inevitable in a diminishing market for print magazines.
Having read my own copy of the contract through several times but still being unsure about some of the implications, I’m very grateful to Simon Whaley for his research into the situation.
You can read all about it on http://simonwhaleytutor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/dc-thomson-me-society-of-authors-and-dc.html
24 May, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
An Evening With Harrogate Writers’ Circle
Using material gathered over the last year or two, including my article Fulfilling Fillers (Writing Magazine December 2012), I shared with HWC some strategies for topping up earnings during ‘dry patches’.
Almost all writers go through these and contributing short items – rarely over 250 words and generally far fewer – to the vast array of publications on offer nowadays can be surprisingly lucrative. We are indeed fortunate that email has done away with heavy expenditure on stamps and stationery as well as the need to copy precious photographs or risk their being lost in the post.
Amusing anecdotes, cuttings and photographs, handy tips, holiday stories, jokes, nostalgia and readers’ letters about anything under the sun will all find a home somewhere. You just need to be persistent and choose your target market carefully.
Below is one of my particular favourites, which appeared in Reader’s Digest a while back.
16 May, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story
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