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...
Dine and Dashers get their comeuppance – at least in print!
Hearing about the losses inflicted on hardworking café and restaurant owners by ‘dine and dashers’ has inspired my latest story, which is in the 20th January 2026 issue of Woman’s Weekly.
I’m particularly taken with the lovely illustrations.
On a more serious note, though, my heart goes out to all the hardworking people robbed by cynical and callous individuals and groups. What may seem trivial to the latter can be a devastating loss to a small business and even tip it over the edge into bankruptcy. The closure of a popular café, restaurant or pub also has a negative and far reaching effect on the local community, something difficult to quantify but still important.
14 January, 2026 - Make the first comment on this story
The oxygen of publicity!
Once again I have to thank the indefatigable Graham Chalmers for a write up of one of my books in our local newspaper syndicate. It appeared a few weeks ago on the website, but I was very pleased to be tipped off by a friend this morning that it was also in print.
8 January, 2026 - Make the first comment on this story
Christmas is coming!
Thursday evening saw me in the Claro Lounge with friends from Write-On Ripon! We enjoyed good food, good conversation, a Secret Santa and even a mini-awards ceremony. Look what I got! (Blushes modestly.)
14 December, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
Welcome exposure!
As a long-term fan of York Literature Festival (and former member of York Writers), I was very pleased to have this appear in the latest newsletter.
25 November, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
Promoting Yorkshire Authors
This will be our second time at this great venue and we’re all hoping for mega sales of our books. Whether we shall get them, of course, remains to be seen, but what is a writer’s life without optimism?
Update!
Footfall was disappointing, but it was good to meet some fellow authors, especially Chris Gill, with whom I shared a table. If only I’d combed my hair before the photographer did the rounds!
20 November, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
An exciting launch
Sudip Bhaduri has been a staunch supporter of the Write On, Ripon! group for a long time and launched his debut novel last night. Code Blue: Diagnosis Deception was inspired by his own time as a junior doctor and is a riveting read. He has dedicated the book to the memory of his father, who was also a doctor and died at a tragically early age.
Sudip asked Nicky, who acted as one of his Beta readers, to introduce him, after which he read some extracts from the book and talked about the background to it all.
I was asked to give some thoughts before Sudip invited questions from the audience. He is already working on a sequel and hopes to bring it out next year.
The Claro Lounge, which hosts our open mic events, had laid on refreshments and I was particularly taken with the cupcakes. Mine suffered a bit in transit, but you’ll get the general idea.
24 October, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
Farewell, RWG!
It’s over twenty years since I joined Ripon Writers’ Group. With a thriving membership of men and women who between them covered just about every genre, there was a wealth of knowledge and experience to tap into. One man had even studied under Tolkien! During those years, I did stints on the committee as Secretary and Chairman/woman/person (!) and made it a point of honour to enter every competition, even those – or perhaps especially those – that were out of my comfort zone.
However, time and circumstances took their toll. There were health issues and bereavements. Changes of venue, not always of our choosing, didn’t help. The major disruption of the Covid years of 2020/21 made things even worse and the last straw may have been changing our fortnightly meetings from Tuesdays to Wednesdays. It didn’t suit everyone but was done to oblige a new Chair who, although excellent in the role, was forced by family circumstances to move away from Ripon not long afterwards. We were unable to change back to Tuesdays because by then another group had taken over the venue. Would it have made a difference? I suppose we shall never know.
The final meeting on 15th October was a sad one, with those of us left as active members of the Group having to face the inevitable. It was time to call it quits and move on, but Ripon is a small place and I’m sure that we shall all keep in touch.
PS Ripon Writers’ Group website, which goes back as far as 2011 and holds a wealth of memories and photographs, will remain live for the time being.
20 October, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
A double-page spread!
I couldn’t have been happier when Laura Coventry contacted me about writing the above feature for The People’s Friend. For one thing, it gave me the opportunity to share photographs that I had been unable, for cost reasons, to include in the book. For another, of course, it spread the word to a much wider audience that I could have reached on my own.
The interview was conducted on the telephone, which explains why a couple of anomalies have crept in. United States law WOULD have allowed me to buy a gun, had I so wished, although alcohol was a definite no no. It also occurred to me when I read the piece that our Greyhound bus tickets would have cost under $100 rather than under £100. The difference isn’t anything like as great now as it was back then, when a pound was worth about $2.40.
However, I’m very pleased with the presentation and hope that it will strike a chord with all who read it and maybe, just maybe, inspire them to purchase a copy. Hope springs eternal, as they say!
18 October, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
What a week!
I enjoy exploring a variety of genres and last week saw me winning first place in Ripon Writers’ Group’s ‘Writing for Children’ competition. Here I am with Jill Freeman, who kindly agreed to be our adjudicator and presented me with the Daphne Peters cup. (Daphne, who passed away in 2020, was a well known children’s writer and founded the Group over 40 years ago.) My story, ‘Sami and Smiley’ was about a sad little boy whose chance encounter with a baby seal gave him hope for the future.
Hard on the heels of that success came Ripon Poetry Festival, in which I took an active part. Reading in the Cathedral in the afternoon was followed by an open mic in the Claro Lounge in the evening, both of which I very much enjoyed. Onwards and upwards!
8 October, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
Ripon launch of ‘1968 My American Odyssey’
What an afternoon that was! Over 30 people here at different times to enjoy drinks and nibbles while listening to extracts from my latest book. Apologies to those not captured in any of the photos. My photographers both had dual roles; Bruce was barman (and didn’t make it into any of the shots) while Richard took care of sales.
David sat down eventually after making sure that the doorbell didn’t go unanswered.
It was good to see so many friends from different aspects of my life, some new and some going back a very long way.
Comfortable seats were at a premium, the weather not being conducive to spilling out into the garden.
I enjoyed holding forth to a captive audience!
1 September, 2025 - Make the first comment on this story
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