Christmas and Memories...

Yes, this time next month it will be Christmas Day- well in the UK it will be...

Just to get everyone in the mood for the big day the December mini poll is about your favourite Christmas songs- both modern and traditional.

I know that when I start to hear these songs on the radio or on tv channels with non-stop music videos then Christmas is coming. But those songs may also stir good memories of people who may no longer be in our lives, or events and emotions that we always associate with particular songs.

This is another method of inspiring ideas- you could apply it to songs in the summer too.

I always associate Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody' with being a teenager. More often now it's crowded over-heated shops...

I hope you'll take part in this month's mini poll and do please use the comment form to share your favourite songs at this time of year.

Learning the Ropes...The Ropery

When we start learning the skills we need to improve our writing you could say we're learning the ropes. But that is also the term for anyone learning about the ropes on a ship or making rope.

So to my visit to The Ropery at the Chatham Historic Dockyard...

It's very popular so you need to get your tickets for the free timed guided tour when you pay for your entry to the dockyard- it's worth every penny.

Admiral Nelson's ship Victory couldn't have run without the miles and miles of rope that were used for the rigging, the sails and even the anchor- three different sizes for the different uses.

I have to admit that I didn't take notes of the names (yes, bad girl for not writing it down I know ) as I was trying to keep hold of one of my children and I was enjoying the commentary by the lady guide who was entertaining us as we went along.
The Ropery is shown to visitors set in 1875, when mechanical spinning machines were used and women were working and had their own entrance door- so they didn't mix with the men...

The fun began when a few of the visitors were chosen to make rope. The yarns were fixed and had to be twisted- you don't need a bad back for this- then they are combined together and with the addition of a cone shaped  device and more turning you eventually get a length of thin rope. The victims- I mean volunteers- received a section of rope they had worked hard to produce, but we could all imagine how physically exhausting the rope production was, even though we'd only seen a small piece produced.

We finally moved into the Ropewalk and looked down the length of the building, it was a long long distance and they must have been very fit...



Here's some of the machinery. It is still working making rope.

Well I'm just glad I don't have to go up and down the building all day.

If you get the chance to visit  you will certainly learn about history and the part  The Ropery played in  the shipping history of this country...

I Visited Waterstones Today...

I don't usually go shopping in the city centre at the weekend but I was buying a birthday present, so I popped into my local branch to see what was available for Christmas too.

I was delighted to see the squishy sofa seating had been put in downstairs and some moving around of sections making it seem a little more open.

If you read my blog in October about my difficulties buying romance books then I can tell you that there has been some improvement.

Romance is no longer in an alcove between erotica and horror, it is now at the end of a range of shelving units- much more comfortable in the viewing stakes.

It now comes after the horror books- okay, nothing is perfect. I can ignore the books to my left.

Still a limited choice in romance (compared to the range that the departed Borders held) but that's retail.

I noticed Nora Roberts books ( reissues of many of her category romances that I bought first time round)  have made it into the A-Z Fiction sections rather than being within romance, but with so many shelves to fill it would have unbalanced the romance section if they'd been put there...

I did buy a book though. It was a Shire Library book on Early Firearms 1300-1800 by Michael Spencer. (Research for one of my characters)

I'm a fan of Shire Books and certainly recommend having a look at their website. If you want an overview of a subject then they are very useful, plus there is a list of places to visit and further reading on the subject of the book, so you can follow on from it if you need to.

Right I'm off to read my new book...

Rye in the rain...and Inspiration

It has been a long time since I visited Rye and it was warm and sunny the day I did visit. This time it was cold and very wet...

If you have heard of Rye then it may be in relation to sheep and smuggling. But it has a notable literary claim- more later.

The sheep provided the wool that supported the community, along with fishing, especially needed when land reclaimed from the sea reduced tidal-flows and allowed silt to build up in the rivers and harbour reducing the advantages of their seaport.

Smuggling thrived in the Rye area, so when luxury goods were added to the agenda the gangs involved didn't hesitate to employ violence- murder and intimidation- if required, and blood was spilled...

(Reality truly was very different to the smuggler heroes of historical romances published in this century.)

If you're interested, find out about the Hawkhurst Gang in 18thC Kent and Sussex.

As to the literary side of the town, it was actually the home of a lot of authors, among them - Henry James the American Novelist who lived at Lamb House and wrote a number of his books there. (Lamb House is now a National Trust Property.)
17th C dramatist John Fletcher. Children's author Malcolm Saville and Author/Cartoonist John Ryan who is best known for his TV cartoon 'Captain Pugwash', loved by children and adults alike.

I even got a story idea from visiting the Ypres Tower (built in 1249). The tower under the ownership of a Trust and is staffed by volunteers who are knowledgeable and interested in the building's care and preservation.
On the upper floor, apart from the display material you can walk out onto a observation area and view the Romney Marshes and the surrounding landscape- a spectacular view.
I appreciated it from the doorway...

As to the inspiration, the upper room got me thinking...What if you woke up in a tower room but couldn't remember how you got there...

Tunbridge Wells and The Pantiles...

My trip to Royal Tunbridge Wells reminded me of my years in college. I would often  meet up with my friends and (just like young women do now) we'd shop, have coffee and chat. This often included a stroll along the colonnade in The Pantiles.

The modern shopping area is at the top of the hill, updated and still as busy as it was thirty years ago. While the older part of town is at the bottom, almost in a valley.

To reach The Pantiles you walk along a road of old shops, old but not tatty. They have fresh paintwork and clean windows. On one side, the pavement is stepped up and there are black benches to rest on- and my legs did need a rest for a few minutes...or more!

When you walk into the Pantiles the outside intrusions of the everyday world- and the traffic running alongside the area- is dampened and for the time you are there you are cocooned from the hustle and bustle of the modern high street. 

The Pantiles are a good example of the modern world meeting the past harmoniously and each benefiting.

The surrounding Georgian buildings house businesses of all sizes, and one in the centre of the square, houses the tourist information centre.

Tourist Information-not established in the 18th Century...

Tunbridge Wells was a watering place of the aristocracy, even rivalling Brighton and Bath. The Chalybeate Spring (discovered in c1606) is still there and working.



This facade was restored in 1987 and the water is still served by 'Dippers' between Easter and the end of September.

You can post your letters or postcards into an elegant Victorian post box with a decorative top-much nicer than the standard round boxes.

And a final view before I strolled away at a lady-like pace...



The Historic Dockyard Chatham and avoiding submarines...

I'll leave avoiding the big submarine to last...

It was a cold, but bright, Monday morning and I had a bag of supplies to keep me and the family fuelled as we went round the vast site.

It's not hard to stand and imagine the hustle and bustle that would have taken place there, every day, since the late 1500's.

If a ship was made of wood and sailed into battle then it probably came from the Chatham Dockyards.

In the dock where Nelson's 'Victory' once stood there is now a WWII destroyer called the HMS Cavalier (1944) which you can go onto to look around. Space is very cramped, upper walkways are narrow (not being slim, at one point I had to sidestep along one of these to get to the next set of steps down. Okay I didn't like the steep drop down the side of the ship I could see, so facing the bulkhead was reassuring...)

Going up and down stairs visitors are advised to turn round and go down backwards- it is easier, but there were occasions when fellow visitors needed to help one another by passing bags up or down hatchways- handbags got through okay but picnic laden bags made climbing difficult. Thick coats were also a disadvantage...

As I'm not great with heights (if I can see straight down) I left my family happily exploring and took myself (and our supplies) off the ship and sat on a nearby bench while my legs went from wobbly jelly to normal...

My favourite had to be the elegant HMS Gannet (1878) a Victorian steamer that started life policing the various sea areas of the British Empire. It has been beautifully restored and is licenced for the performance of marriges- a great venue for a wedding...

Stepping aboard I could imagine walking along the deck in a big dress, a shawl and bonnet as in Victorian days- admitedly the decks were fairly clear when they wouldn't have been in those times... It was solid and reassuring, despite one my son's pointing out that if it had been hit by a missile there would have been lots of splintered wood flying around to kill you!

This is HMS Gannet in all her glory...

Now the submarine- it was huge and black. It was just too long to be able to get it in a photo.
HM Submarine Ocelot (1962) is certainly imtimidating to look at, it was the last warship built at Chatham for the Royal Navy. It's an 'O' class diesal-electric submarine and stayed in service until 1981.

You can look round it, but you have to go on timed tours (by ticket). You also need to be fairly mobile to move through the sections- you receive instructions on how to do this. But the diagram on the entry building with a circle showing the diameter of hatches helped decide me to stay up top.

You can see some official pictures here

I did walk down the steps into the dry dock where it is berthed and walked underneath and up the steps on the other side. Even that brief contact was impressive.

For anyone interested in lifeboats there is also the RNLI Historic Lifeboat Collection, it  features fifteen lifeboats from early pulling versions and sailboats to motor lifeboats from the 20th century and beyond.

I'll leave the Ropery for another day, but if you want to find out more and have a look at their photogallery, you will find lots of information here

There is so much to see and do while you are at the Historic Dockyard Chatham and it really is worth the visit if you are ever in the Medway valley...

Reference books I wouldn't part with- Part 2...

This book is for the writer/reader interested in the history relating to marriage, separation and divorce before the first Divorce Act in 1857.

Broken Lives: Separation and Divorce in England 1660-1857 by Lawrence Stone.
ISBN: (Hardback) 0-19-820254-7

(While there were some historians who were unhappy with his methods and the conclusions he reached in his earlier books, but they still make interesting reading.)

Where marriage was concerned, it was much simpler for the ordinary man and woman than for the wealthy. Even if love was involved in their relationship, money came into it at every stage, even with divorce.

(Now pass over the next bit if you are already familiar with the financial aspects of marriage within the wealthy class.)

At marriage a dowry was paid by the bride's family to the groom's. In response, provision would be made for the couple so they had income to live on. And in case she became a widow, her jointure- an annuity for the rest of her life was agreed (a pension).
All her personal property- jewels, furniture and money became her husband's to do with as he pleased when she became a Mrs.

So a wife risked a great deal to separate from her husband but some still did it, despite the social and financial ruin they would incur, as well as the loss of access to any children they had.

The section of the book that I find the most interesting is the case studies taken from the court documents, statements from the parties involved and those of witnesses ( often they were bribed to give a particular version). This is the ugly side of social history of the wealthy.

A few years ago I had an idea for a novella set at the turn of the 19th century. My hero, Hugh, was the child of a broken marriage. So I created a back story to explain the separation and set about researching its plausibility. I researched what might be available in the county library, borrowed this book and began reading.

I came across a case in the late 18th century. It even fitted into the same time period my fictional characters would have broken up.
While my scenario didn't share any similarity to the distressing circumstances of the case, the offending male did.

I won't reveal more as I've started writing Hugh's story, but it shows that what we think may be unlikely, if we just look we may find it could have happened.

While the rich lived comfortable lives, behind closed doors some of their relationships were hell.

If they lived now- without the riches- quite a few of those wives would be residing in refuges for battered women or on long-term anti-depressants.

So when I see portraits of the aristocracy hanging in art galleries, I do look at their faces and wonder...

Reference books I wouldn't part with...Part 1

We all have favourite books that we keep and wouldn't think of giving away. I've heard them referred to as 'keepers' when speaking about fiction, but not relating to non-fiction.

I certainly have a few books that I wouldn't part with, mainly because of the subject matter, but they can sometimes cost quite a bit if there isn't a modern paperback reprint available, and not always available from local libraries.

Fashions in Hair: The First Five Thousand Years by Richard Corson.
My hardback copy- slightly tatty- is a 1984 reprint and was bought from a book sale at our County library about eight years ago for 80p. The most interesting 80 pence I have ever spent.

(It is a rather heavy book and 6cm thick.)

It starts with 1400BC and ends with 1978, over 3,000 black and white illustrations- and yes there is a hairstyle shown that I did actually have myself, around 1978. :)

There's explanatory text discussing how the styles developed during specific time periods, with additional images such as 14thC Venetian hairpins to caricatures of hairstyles.

There was a later reprint, but second hand prices are similar to the previous version.

I've not yet found another book that is as comprehensive as this one.

So do you have a reference book that you wouldn't part with ?

Please use the comment form to tell us about it ...

Handbags say a lot too...

How many Handbags do you have?

Now I will admit to at least half a dozen (that I can think of immediately) but there may be a few more...

But do you ever think about their purpose, or even what they say about the owner?

I'm a large handbag girl- everything but the kitchen sink basically- so it's fortunate I didn't live hundreds of years ago when I would have only had a small reticule spacious enough to hold a hanky, smelling salts and some small change perhaps... just in case.

Go forward to the early part of the 20th C and the small bag might hold a powder compact, a cigarette case, perhaps a lipstick and of course the hanky/small change were probably still there too.

Whether your character is contemporary or historical look inside her bag (or his, men now have them too) and see if they have anything you don't expect, and if they have, ask them about it.

If you just want to wallow in bags from different times then here is a link to the V&A search the collections option, put bags in the search box and then click on resulting images.

Books on handbags often concentrate on the 20th century designs, but if you want beautiful images then you will certainly find them in books.

The V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) currently have a book available with images from the museum's collection:

Bags by Claire Wilcox  (PB) ISBN 10: 978-1851775361

Other books available from online booksellers include:

Handbags by Anna L Johnson (PB) ISBN 10: 978-1851775361

Vintage Handbags by Marnie Fogg (PB)  ISBN 10: 1847323006

Perhaps I better clear the junk out of my handbag...

Clothes and the Writer

When I'm creating a modern character in a story, clothes are a way of showing their personality or even their profession.

A suit worn by a modern man could be Marks and Spencer or Armani. It wouldn't neccesarily tell you whether the guy wearing the designer suit is rich, or a man who likes designer gear and has bought it on his credit card- or saved for it. (There could be a story there.)

So when I'm faced with my historical heroes and heroines of the 18th/19th century I have to remember that clothes are very important. They reflect social class and status, how they move and how they sit.

If a girl in your story turns up in a silk gown when you know she normally wears a plain wool dress and can't afford silk there's got to be a reason- the reason could lead anywhere, or to anyone.

As to female underwear, I don't think my heroines would be able to run very far or for very long in corsets or stays, or a hooped petticoat. So if my heroine is being chased she's at a disadvantage and needs to use her wits to escape- or not.

When you get to working on scenes of intimacy, how the characters get out of their clothes between the kissing and carressing has erotic potential.

Whatever time period your characters inhabit you'll find a costume book to cover it, from basic to detailed info, and some with beautiful colour pictures of surviving outfits.

Here's a few of the costume books I have in my reference collection:

Costume in Detail 1730-1930- Nancy Bradfield. (2007 Edition) ISBN: 978-1-85882-038-5

Costume 1066-1990's-John Peacock (Reprinted 2000) ISBN: 0-500-27791-5

The Art of Dress: Clothes Through History 1500-1914- Jane Ashleford/ National Trust-
ISBN: 9781905400799

The History of Underclothes-C.Willett Cunnington and Phillis E. Cunnington-(1992)

Two major costume collections that can be seen are at The Costume Museum in Bath, in the basement of the famous Assembly Rooms, and in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

If you ever have the opportunity to try on hooped petticoats, cages or bustles I would recommend it. Try walking around and you will quickly be very appreciative of the clothing we wear today.

Now all this talk of clothes has given me an idea, and a couple of characters have just popped into my head to go with it...