Shirley's blog on her writing and on living in Egypt etc

Pyramids and tourists to be protected

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:42:27 GMT

I am so happy to read that the pyramids at Giza are to have a complete makeover. Well, I don't mean the pyramids themselves, but the area around them.

A secure fence is going to be built around them to protect the tourists and the pyramids from unwelcome guests and what is even more pleasing there is to be a crack down on the peddlers who are constantly in your face when you are trying to look at the pyramids. They sell all manner of things from papyrus pictures to Nefertiti statues.

There are also the men who try to get you to have a camel ride and rarely take no for an answer. Well, it helps if you speak Arabic. I learnt quite early on the Arabic word Emshee! ( go away) and it works... sometimes.

But we have visited the pyramids about five times now and on each occasion we have still been plagued with these people.

On one occasion one man was so adamant that I should buy something he accidently knocked my camera from my hand. Thankfully, it wasn't broken.

Many of these pedlers have to sell these things to keep their families and survive, but it really can ruin what should be a pleasant visit.

Last time we visited the pyramids I said to my husband 'I wonder why don't they build a fence around the pyramids and let these people sell their wares outside so that you can walk around the pyramids in peace as they do at other Egyptian tourist sites. Then tourists could view what the peddlars are selling afterwards- a lot of what they sell is actually very good.'

Now it seems this is going to happen. They are even talking about having golf carts to take tourists around the pyramids in the future, a cafeteria is to be built and a new visitors centre. This is all good news.

Visiting Giza will be a much more enjoyable experience and people will be able to really relax and appreciate one of the seven wonders of the world without being continually hustled.

Great news! Great Pyramids! Great country!

NB A few waste paper bins would be a good idea too.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080811/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_pyramids_makeover_3

Tags: Giza

Day 4 in The Swanwick House

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:56:23 GMT

( The Main Building of the Hayes centre)

( Lakeside where I have my room.)

I can't believe that is is day four already!

I have been to several more interesting work shops and last night had a very entertaining talk from Penny Junor the Royal biographer. There is so much to do here including a bar and tonight I am off to a disco!

The best work shop so far has to be the one run today by Iain Pattison. It was about how to write a short story. He was very amusing and gave us some very useful information. I'm really looking forward to part two tomorrow. I may even try writing a short story now!

This afternoon we had a trip out to the birth place of DH Lawrence at Eastwood.

We saw the house and it is still furnished with all the original articles including rag rugs.He was from a mining family.

I love his poems.

Tags: D.H Lawrence, Swanwick, Iain Pattison

Home again home again jiggetty jig

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:50:05 GMT

Phew that went quickly!

A whirlwind of talks, workshops and new friends. My head is spinning.

I really enjoyed it and my writing batteries are recharged!

Best work shop was Iain Pattisons-on short story writing. The 'Writing for Children' was a bit disappointing, but then it was for beginners.

Simon Brett's after dinner talk was magic. He read his story about a murder out to us and it was written in rhyme. He did all the voices and it was fantastic.

High-light of the conference was receiving my trophy.

My winning poem was called 'Who needs diamonds anyway?' and will be published in the October edition of Writer's News.

Tags: Swanwick, diamonds, Iain Pattison

Swanwick Day 2

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:54:49 GMT

My head is spinning. There are so many interesting courses and talks here and the people are fascinating. At meal times we all exchange names and ask what are you writing?

One lady I spoke to writes letters for magazines and makes a small income from this, another woman is on working on a children's fantasy novel and a man I spoke to over coffee told me he writes crime novels.

The interests are so varied and I am so enjoying listening to all this.

There are a couple of people who have come from Switzerland just for this week, and at breakfast I met a woman, a teacher, who lived in Cairo for a year, so we had a lot to chat about.

Today I have attended the final parts of the poetry course run by Alison Chisholm. ( The first two parts were yesterday).

She gave us various exercises to do yesterday and we each read a poem out to the rest of the group today.

I also had part two of the workshop with Xanthe Wells.

This was on what constitutes literary fiction and we read some examples including extracts from Dennis Potter and Virginia Woolf.

I am learning a lot and I feel that my writing is going to benefit a lot from this week.

Onwards and upwards!

Swanwick Writing Holiday

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:49:31 GMT

Receiving my trophy.

My trophy and certificate for winning first prize in the Swanwick 2008 poetry competition.

Well, here I am.

This weeks writing holiday here in Swanwick Derbyshire, at the Hayes conference centre, was my prize for obtaining first prize in their poetry competition. The theme of the competition was diamonds, as it is Swanwicks diamond anniversary my poem is entitled ‘Who needs diamonds anyway?’

I arrived on Saturday at 3pm, after a slow journey up the M25 and M1-there were a lot of roadworks at various places.

I went to the Lakeside complex to get my key. I have a very nice room with en suite.

There was a meeting for the newbies ( white badgers) and we were told a bit about Swanwick and how many keep coming back here year after year-the yellow badgers.

In the chairman’s weclome we had the prize presentations and I received my trophy and framed certificate.

After dinner Katie Fforde gave us a most entertaining talk.

There are three hundred people here from all over the UK and I hope that I will get to know a lot this week and find out what they enjoy writing.

Tags: Swanwick, poetry, diamond

The Victorian archway at Broadfield Park

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:56:23 GMT

(This is how the Victorian archway looked in 1969 when my dad was in charge of Broadfield Estate. That's my Spanish penfriend. I was studying Spanish A-level)

(And this is how it is now! Full of stinging nettles and completely overgrown, That's my husband inspecting one of the bushes!)

I was contacted by the Crawley Observer yesterday about my thoughts on the state of the archway that is situated on the lawn, in front of Broadfield house.

This is what I wrote. I am not sure if it's going in their paper;

I think you already know my thoughts re the state of Broadfield park now!

I hadn't realised until a week ago that Broadfield park keeper is the same one who looks after Tilgate. Clearly Broadfield Park is the poor relation! It is in a terrible state and I was surprised to hear there is a park keeper at all.

I loved that ormamental archway, that stands in front of the house, it must date back to the 1840s when the house was first built.

It consists of some ornamental apple and pear trees and we used to eat them.

In the spring time the archway was covered in a beautiful blossom and the perfume filled the air. To us children it was a magical place and we used to love walking beneath the bowers and imagine we were brides going up a church aisle! The white petals were like confetti falling on us in the light breeze.

My dad kept the archway in good shape, as he was head gardener on the estate and the gardens either side of the archway, which were full of flowers, I remember the daisies in particular.

When I see how the archway is now I am very sad and cross. To think it has been left in that state is awful, but then it just seems that no-one is bothered at all about Broadfield Park, which is why many of us are now keeping a very close eye on it and what Thames Water and Crawley Council have planned!

This is a very beautiful area and should remain so for the residents of Broadfield and visitors. I really wish Crawley Council would spend some money on the park and restore it to it's former glory, where possible,as there is not much left now!

And let's face it it was here that the town of Crawley began-the house was where the new town offices were centred and where the architects planned the new town.

My dad had lunch with the Queen at Broadfield House when she came to inspect the plans for the new town of Crawley and view the town itself. She also planted a tree in the square near the band stand. And where has that gone?

No tree is safe in Crawley, not even one planted by the Queen!

Tags: Crawley, Queen, new town, Crawley Observer

Broadfield Park update.

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:24:24 GMT

On Wednesday I met Councillor Quirk, Councillor Gilroy and the park keeper at Broadfield Park. There were also three local residents there who, like me, are concerned about the proposed sewage facility being installed in the park.

The park keeper showed us Thames Water plans and it looks like the old trees will be untouched. The large lawned area at the front of the house will be removed, but replaced. An area of long grass at the bottom of the lawn will also be dug up. This is a natural habitat for butterflies and there are a few wild flowers growing there.

This long grassed area was known as the rain gauge when my family lived on the estate because a large metallic rain gauge was kept there once and the rainfall was measured by office workers. My sister and I sometimes opened the door to the funnel construction to have a look at the graph! This type of rain gauge is known as a 'tipping bucket rain gauge'. There was also a smalller funnel type with a glass measuring bottle inside.

Cowslips, daffodils and orchids grew in this area and on hot days we often came across adders basking in the warm sunshine.

There was a marvellous pine tree here, a rare variety, which had huge cones. We loved collecting them.

Thames Water say they have no choice but to make a sewer in this area, there is nowhere else. It is to alleviate flooding problems for the new houses at Pease Pottage.

I came away from the meeting feeling slightly happier, knowing that the trees, many over a hundred years old, would not be touched , but can't help feeling sad that this area is going to be touched at all. There will also be several man hole covers and although Thames Water say it will be put back as it was I know it will not look the same.

I always feel very protective about this area. It was my home. I spent many happy times here.

But it's too late to worry now really, as the park has already changed and the surrounding woods and fields have almost disappeared.

I guess I still have my photos and my memories. No-one can take those way.

Tags: Broadfield Park, Thames Water, Rain gauge,

Symphysis Pubis

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:08:20 GMT

I was just reading an article about Katy Hill, the former Blue Peter presenter, who said she suffered with 'Symphysis Pubis' when she was pregnant. The symptoms she described sounded very much like what I experienced when I was carrying my second child, nearly thirty years ago now. So I looked this up on the internet and yes this is what I did indeed have. It is now a recognised condition. Hurrah, I was not going mad!

I hadn't experienced it with my first pregnancy and it was quite scary when I suffered with this condition, as no-one seemed to understand what I was on about or the amount of pain I was in-doctors, friends or family.

It is an excrutiating pain in the pelvic area, mainly around the frontal pubic area.

During pregnancy a hormone called 'Relaxin' causes the pubic bones to soften, in order to ease delivery later. In one in thirty five women they have too much 'Relaxin' and this causes the front pubic bones to open too much and this can be very painful.

I remember seeing one doctor at the antenatal clinic about this, he just laughed it off saying 'Oh well think how you will feel after your sixth child!'

From the fourth month of pregnancy onwards I had to put up with this condition.

Turning over in bed or getting up from chairs was so painful I was in tears and I could hardly walk. It didn't help that I also had a two year old to look after and no family close by to help.

As no-one knew about this condition I probably did things I shouldn't have done like lifting and carrying, which can make this condition worse.

But these days it seems it is a very understood condition and there are many remedies.

( see web site below)

Apparently when women with 'Symphysis Pubis' give birth staff should be aware of this condition and the delivery position is also important.

This was not mentioned when I delivered my daughter, I don't think this condition was even written on my records.

Thankfully, after birth it disappeared.

I am glad that it is now fully understood and that women who suffer with this now are fully supported.

http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/pregnancy/pregnancyproblems/pregprobs_pelvicjointpain.asp

Tags: symphysis pubis

Broadfield Park now to be a sewer!

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:07:51 GMT

I am absolutely devastated I have learnt today that Thames Water intend digging up Broadfield park and making a sewer!

How can they be allowed to do this? This is a nature park full of wildlife and beautiful old trees some over a hundred years old. Thames Water say that they will replace everything but duh you can't replace old trees!

Here is a letter I have written in protest, which I am told by the editor will appear in next weeks Crawley Observer.

I was mortified to read Ian Irvines letter in todays Crawley Observer re the proposed sewage facility at Broadfield park.

What on earth is wrong with Crawley planners! Who has put forward this proposal? Have they actually been to Broadfield Park to see the damage this would do?

This is a nature park for goodness sake, as the Crawley Council web site itself states. It is home to many animals, birds and flowers. I remember rare orchids grew there once. The trees are beautiful and many are over a hundred years old. There is one tree that I remember in particular, that stands near the lake, a splendid redwood. My sister and I always marvelled at its soft bark.

The house itself is Grade Two listed and having recently heard that it is not now going to be made into flats ( I was involved in the campaign against those), I am incensed to hear about this new proposal. Why are Crawley planners so intent on ruining this area?

Come on people of Crawley this is a beautiful park don't let this happen. I want to see families and their future generations enjoying the lake and grounds as much as I did when I grew up there.

A sewage facility can easily be sited elsewhere. Old trees cannot.

Tags: Thames Water, Broadfield Park, Crawley, Sussex

The Winchester Writer's Conference.

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:38:16 GMT

Yes, it was that time of year again.

This is a week long writing conference held every June at the University of Winchester.

The opening speaker this year was Colin Dexter, famous for his Inspector Morse character.

He led a team of more than sixty novelists, poets, literary agents and professional writers who gave talks and seminars on writing and publishing. There were also various work shops to chose from.

There were fifteen writing competitions to enter in the months preceding the conference.

Last year I had two books commended.

This year I had a story commended in the four to seven age range, so I am pleased about that.

Tags: Winchester Writer's Conference