Nuffield Place, William Morris and Amy Johnson

This Easter, I visited Nuffield Place, near Oxford, the home of William Morris, not the nineteenth century textile designer, but the twentieth century William Morris who became Lord Nuffield, the motor manufacturer and philanthropist.
As he had no children, upon his death, his house and gardens were left to Nuffield College, Oxford, one of the many institutions he set up, to be opened to the public throughout the summer. However, the costs of upkeep proved too much and it has now been taken on by the National Trust. A visit is fascinating because it is a time capsule of his life there from 1933 to 1963.

Amongst dressing tables, bedecked with crystal bottles and pots, and lace doilies, there is his wardrobe, full of tools!
And in contrast to cupboards full of ceremonial robes, there's Lady Nuffield's sewing box, made from a Huntley and Palmers tin, rather like the one I've been using for years!

 Around the house there are framed images of famous people who have driven Morris cars, like Elvis Presley, and Agatha Christie, but the most exciting for me is Amy Johnson, who features in my novel, Gipsy Moth, which is about a girl who dreams of becoming an aviatrix like her.
In 1930, Amy Johnson was presented with a MG Saloon, by Sir William Morris, as he was then, on her return from her record breaking solo flight to Australia, and she drove it to Buckingham Palace to receive her CBE from King George V!

Great Expectations at the Reading RNA Lunch

This week I was invited to the Reading RNA lunch at the Great Expectations Hotel.
Here, you can see the lovely writers who welcomed me and made the event so enjoyable as we chattered about all things to do with writing, publishing and promoting our novels.

The Great Expectations Hotel is named after the famous book by Charles Dickens. The building with its distinctive Greek columns was originally called New Hall and was built in 1843 to house the Literary, Scientific and Mechanics Institute. So already there is a literary link, as these institutes provided lectures and a library for the working classes.
However, due to lack of funds (despite a £10 donation from Prince Albert), in 1853 it was converted to a theatre by a Mr T Fry. A new proscenium arch was constructed and it became Theatre Royal New Hall.
Finally, on December 19th 1854, Charles Dickens himself, came to read an excerpt from A Christmas Carol and he was said to be 'overcome' by the warm reception of Reading's working class citizens.

1858 - Dickens Reading by Robert Hannah

In an article by Simon Callow, who is renowned for his readings of the work of Charles Dickens in the style of the great storyteller, he tells of the great performances Dickens made.

'The Readings were the great theatrical sensation of the day, both in Britain and in the United States of America. He staged them very carefully, building up the audience’s anticipation until he finally made his entrance, to ecstatic acclaim he was not only the most famous author of his day, he was the most famous man, and his readers loved him deeply. When he took his place at the reading desk he had designed, his face framed by gaslight, the audience fell silent; his command was absolute. Not only was he a superb performer, in both tragic and comic sequences, moving the audience alternately to gales of laughter and deep sobs, but his connection with his listeners – who adored him, feeling, as they had always done, that he spoke for them – was palpably intense, the applause at the end thunderous and never-ending.'

 - See more at: http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/dickens-the-performer#sthash.gkrDTH8v.dpuf

So there we are, a literary lunch at the former Literary, Scientific and Mechanics Institute which became the venue for a reading by the most famous author of the nineteenth century.

Return to Mandalay with Rosanna Ley in a captivatingly exotic and exciting book

I've never been to Burma, or Myanmar, as it is known these days, but it has always sounded exciting and exotic. Rosanna Ley, the author of Return to Mandalay  is known for making the landscape an integral part of her story, and here, she uses the sights, sounds, smell, touch and taste of this wonderful country to reflect and illuminate the action.

Eva Gatsby is sent to Burma to check on some consignments for her boss, Jacqui, at the Bristol Antiques Emporium. Before she goes, her grandfather, Lawrence, who she has lived with since her mother, Rosemary, remarried, asks her to take a chinthe with her to reunite it with its partner, and in doing so, discover if Maya, the sweetheart he left behind in Burma to return home and marry someone else after the War, is still alive.

Chinthes, Mandalay Hill  (Aidan McRae Thompson, Flickr)

Chinthes, pronounced chin-thays or chin-deys, are mythical half-lion creatures, usually found in pairs protecting the entrance to a temple, and Maya gave Lawrence one of a pair of small ones, carved out of teak with eyes of rubies, to protect him and perhaps bring them back together.

When Eva arrives in Yangon (Rangoon), she meets Klaus, a German, who is interested in buying Burmese rubies, and seems quite interested in her.
However, when she manages to track down Maya, she meets her grandson, Ramon, who can be quite attentive, but also remote. He is trying to run his furniture business in a fair honest way, but is being undercut by more unscrupulous men, who don't care about passing off fakes as traditional Burmese antiques.

Apart from Eva's story in the present, there is also Lawrence and Maya's story from the 1930s and 1940s; and the story of Maya's grandmother, Suu Kyi, who was a hand maiden to Queen Supayalat when the British forced her husband, King Thibaw Min, to abdicate, and was given the pair of chinthes as a reward for her devotion; and also the story of how Eva's mother coped after the death of Eva's father, Nick.
Despite sounding complicated, all these strands are skilfully woven together in over five hundred pages of wonderful reading.

Red Online, the online arm of Red magazine (and quite apt if you have read it online!) describes Return to Mandalay as a

     'A gorgeous mouth-watering dream of a holiday read!'   

and I certainly cannot disagree with that even if I did read it in the darkest months of the year!

Last Minute Romantic Christmas Read - It Must Have Been The Mistletoe by Judy Astley

Christmas is nearly over, but there is still just enough time before Twelfth Night to read It Must Have Been The Mistletoe by Judy Astley!
If you dreamt of spending a snowy Christmas in Cornwall, this book is for you. There's snow, mistletoe, turkey, and all the family: Anna and Mike want to make this a perfect holiday because they are getting a divorce!
The story centres around Thea, their eldest daughter, whose boyfriend has left her to raise poodles with his sister(!). She feels awkward that her own siblings, Emily and Jimi are there  with their children and partners, and she is alone. There is Sean, a surf dude, whom she likes, who runs the holiday home with his partner, Paul, but he is obviously unobtainable.
The snow begins to fall, and Charlotte, Mike's singing friend who helped him make DVDs of the family's past Christmases, turns up and so does Alex, the son of a lady at Anna's book-group, with whom she's got very friendly indeed and who she's invited to come along.
As the snow gets deeper and the house gets cut off, what will happen to these revellers?
I really enjoyed reading it. Judy Astley has a real knack of immersing you in the story, and you feel as if you are right there with the family as they build snowmen, and have a beach barbecue and carols in the church whilst they sort out their problematic romantic lives.

The Charm Bracelet by Melissa Hill - The One Book You Must Read This Christmas!

If you only read one book this Christmas, do try The Charm Bracelet by Melissa Hill, because it has everything you need in a Christmas story!
Single young mother, Holly, working hard in a vintage clothes store, finds a charm bracelet in the lining of a red jacket and because she has her own bracelet which represents the ups and downs of her life, she sets out at Christmastime in New York to find it's owner. And, yes, it's snowing!
Greg, a high-flyer in his father's Wall Street firm, gives up his job to concentrate on his love of photography, without telling his high-maintenance girlfriend, Karen, first.
How will Holly's search for the bracelet's owner help her to find the love of her life amongst the streets of New York at Christmastime? Fabulous!
This book was recommended by my Canadian writing friend, Jen Gilroy, and you can find her blog here!
Happy Christmas!

Always Something There To Remind Me by Lilian Kendrick - A Warm-Hearted Novel About Achieving Your Teenage Dreams

The thing that made me want to read Always Something There to Remind Me by Lilian Kendrick was the fact that, amongst the aims Lydia had written on a list when she was fifteen, was that she wanted to skate like Jayne Torvill! Me too!
Now thirty years later, Lydia, newly divorced, finds her school rough book (remember those?) complete with her other hopes of overcoming her fear of flying; singing in front of an audience; and getting a date with a rock star!
She finds help and inspiration from Des, a man at her writing group, who helps her to achieve her dreams, in sometimes very unexpected ways, and I found myself giggling out loud at the things she got up to.
It was lovely to read a book about a woman in her forties, instead of twenty- or thirty-somethings, with the idea that she is not too old to make those teenage dreams come true.
And does she find new love with Des? You'll have to read the book to find out!

High Tide by Veronica Henry - An Uplifting Autumn Read

Now that Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night are over and Christmas is sparkling on the horizon, You might like this relaxing autumn read by Veronica Henry. High Tide will definitely help you unwind away from the lists, the shopping, and the cooking!
It's set in the fictional Devon seaside town of Penfleet, and begins with two funerals, and afterwards follows the two characters who are left behind and whose life must go on.
Kate, a New York events organiser, returns to her home town for her mother, Joy's, funeral and has only a few days to attend that and empty her old home ready for selling, before Carlos, her boss, wants her back.
Vanessa lives in Penfleet House, the wealthy second wife of Spencer, who has to cope with his first wife's histrionics and the indifference of his children.
Veronica Henry soon works her magic that can only come from being a scriptwriter on Holby City and The Archers, to weave a story about Kate and Vanessa and how they cope.
She introduces two male characters: Sam, a single dad, who has escaped to Penfleet with his children for a more meaningful life; and Nathan, who lives with his grandfather and apart from sailing the boat that they've restored, works for the local undertaker. . .
This results in an uplifting story to enjoy by an open fire with a mug of hot chocolate, or maybe a glass of red wine!
Which is your favourite Veronica Henry novel?