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...
Ripon Poetry Festival
Ripon Writers’ Group and Write-On! Ripon were both well represented at the open mic, which we co-hosted this year at the Arts Hub on Allhallowgate. It was good to see some new faces as well as many of the regular participants and hear a wide variety of poetic styles and subject matter.
Having attended the launch of this year’s children’s anthology – I was very pleased to have been one of the judges for the 12-18 category – I met fellow Swanwickers Penny Blackburn and Susanna Lewis in the bar. In the photo, kindly taken for us by Tony Lewis, we’re all brandishing copies of the main Festival anthology in which we each have a poem. Actually Penny has two and Susanna has the added kudos of coming second in the annual competition. Well done, ladies!
We took to the stage in turn to read our poems to an appreciative audience composed of other contributors to the anthology and their guests. As ever, there was a great variety of poetic styles and themes and it was a very enjoyable evening.
22 September, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
Wonderful news!
I’m delighted to announce that SpellBound Books Ltd. has offered to publish my memoir of the summer I spent as a camp counselor and ‘riding the Dog’ across the USA. The Dog – or rather Dogs in question were, of course, Greyhound buses, which offered amazing value to young and cash-strapped overseas visitors.
The link is with Facebook, so may not work for everyone. If you’re struggling, please let me know in the comments and I’ll endeavour to send you the details by a different route. https://www.facebook.com/maggie.cobbett/posts/pfbid0cVfGUVuKw9rVkMRwwnKz2LvPufqQNAYxPP8rMYjumyWe1adKRychwBMCTxF6HuG3l?notif_id=1718893755043029¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif
20 June, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
Memories of Owen’s Park
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/its-very-special-place-end-29348843
I never expected to be featured in the Manchester Evening News and yet here I am. You’ll have to scroll down to the end, though, to find my contribution. There’s even a photograph, albeit creased, that once graced my students’ union card.
The photo of Platt Fields Park, on the other hand, reminds me of a tug of war that once took place during Rag Week. The rope was stretched across part of the pond and the women’s team had sneakily tied their end to some railings. Our victory saw some of the men falling into the freezing water and we had to run for our lives!
My two years ‘in hall’ were a very happy time, which is probably why my memories are still so fresh. At eighteen and living away from home for the first time, I couldn’t have been given a better introduction to student life. For the modest sum of £6 a week, I was fed and housed in a great deal more comfort than many of my contemporaries, some of whom lived in almost slum like conditions around the city. A much appreciated bonus was that Owen’s Park, being new and somewhat experimental, was a mixed hall of residence and therefore free from the restrictions placed on undergraduates – particularly female ones – by more traditional establishments.
The extracts that appear were taken from recollections sent to the University of Manchester Alumni Association in response to an appeal to former residents.
19 June, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
I get by with a little help from my friends!
So sang the Beatles and how right they were!
Life would be so much poorer without friends and here are a few of mine, all connected one way or another with the Write-On! Ripon group.
Thinking up something new to write for our weekly meetings in the Claro Lounge certainly keeps my brain exercised. The photo above, though, was taken at one of our social evenings, which took place at Silva Bells near the Cathedral. The food was good, the drink flowed and so did the conversation.
27 May, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
R.I.P. Reader’s Digest UK
I was very sorry to learn that a magazine which has published a great deal of my writing – anecdotes, end of article fillers, jokes, letters and travel pieces – has ceased to exist. The reason is, of course, financial, as it has been with so many print publications in recent years and my sympathies are very much with all the staff who have lost their jobs. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13363915/readers-digest-uk-edition-closes-financial-pressures-editor-tribute.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2hDPAsrJWHSPLxdhLZ-6C8q9hj7vB1s29wdSvDgK5u5KRbTCHv71P8Lnk_aem_Afn_074L2VzEoTS56rJc–ZFwRO1K2kNsQOjhYn0gZYfnFwqW6ePijJuDtwrP7wVu5KjRgVHfCS-lbUU3kunrK3l
It seems that the May 2024 issue, in which I have a joke, is to be the last one, so here it is.
23 May, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
Featured in Yorkshire Life
This double-paged spread in Yorkshire Life was written to help Ripon Community Link, my favourite local charity, and I hope that it will attract many more visitors to the wonderful Walled Garden.
The words – at least an edited version of them – are mine, but I was careful to submit a draft to RCL for approval before submitting the article to the magazine. The photographs are part of a selection sent to me by the charity and I am pleased to see that the correct acknowledgement has been given.
21 April, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
Sister Act the Musical
REVIEW: ‘Dazzling’ Sister Act musical set to open at Harrogate Theatre – Your Harrogate
Always happy to write a review for local groups, I found attending the dress rehearsal of RAOS Musical Company’s dress rehearsal at Harrogate Theatre a truly joyous experience.
It’s a long time since I trod the boards there myself – as one of the Mamas in Fiddler on the Roof – but I could well imagine all the frenzied activity backstage. Well done, everyone!
The link above will take you to the full review.
18 April, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
Featured in Writers’ Narrative
I’m pleased to have this article in the latest issue of Writers’ Narrative. It’s a great magazine and has helped to fill the gap left by the unfortunate demise of Writers’ Forum.
18 March, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
The wonders of modern technology
When I sent a letter to Who Do You Think You Are? magazine, I attached some images stored on my computer. Very close to the deadline for publication, I was asked if I could provide a better digital image of the regimental photograph and had to explain that it was now in the possession of a second cousin in Australia. I did, however, send my relative a message via Facebook and he was able to oblige – all this within a few short hours. The magazine will now be able to supply a digital copy of the photo to any family history researcher who requests it. How wonderful is that!
1 March, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
Advice for authors
I was very happy to contribute to Debbie Emmitt’s blog, which you can read here. https://www.debbie-emmitt.com/how-authors-of-books-set-in-france-overcome-challenges-in-their-words/?fbclid=IwAR2rcZVveVaQF4dVGp1hjRHtvGIKvpX-wA5YhRKL6EhKYsyPhaf6QwN6QO8
The advice referred to the research I did when writing my long novel ‘Shadows of the Past’ and is reproduced below:
‘Shadows of the Past’ and, even more so, its prequel ‘Foreshadowing’, have a large autobiographical element to them and were a real labour of love to write.
9 February, 2024 - Make the first comment on this story
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