Mary’s Blog…

September 2024 Time to update. I now live in Oxford near my daughter and her family. Life in Oxford often feels like living in a theme park. You just can’t decide what to do first second third etc. I have met many lovely people and joined many lovely groups amongst others an author’s group which…

Mini heatwaves, on dates not predicted by the met office, gave us beach days and picnic opportunities and the joy of what is now called ‘wild swimming’ (it used to be called swimming) and walks and outdoor music and reconnecting with friends. I’ve put together some views of the summer and I hope they might…

After months of procrastination I have published the travelogue of our much loved uncle , who died in his thirties and left us with memories of a kind, vibrant and clever man. It is now available on Kindle as an ebook and I hope to expand onto other platforms and produce a print copy in…

When I became the proud keeper of a tortoise called Flash it gave me the idea of writing a book which would raise funds for homeless people, as I knew that my tortoise will never be homeless, he has his home on his back. So, I developed the idea, consulted with the Shekinah Mission in…

“They Women Have Done Well” The courage and selfless contribution made by one and three quarter million women during WW1 needs to be recognized. Whilst there may not be records of Modbury women within that number, they undoubtedly ‘pulled their weight’. Much is often written about ‘the plight of the war widows’ or ‘ the…

Devon was,as usual, both mild and scenic, and I took full advantage of every break in the weather to walk the beaches and estuaries and ponder the setting and plot of my next book- Ellen’s Story. It will begin in West Cork, Drimoleague, like its sequel ‘Long Road, Many Turnings’ and then continue through the…

Unlikely, unexpected and downright bizarre! This month has brought so many surprises. We have had a heatwave, not quite as unprecedented as the reported tropical ( for Wales!!) 20 C but still pretty amazing. Surprises are all around me as I write… Daisies vying with cyclamen for the most stunning show in the garden.  …

Witches Hats. Halloween in Salem. Doorsteps decorated with grinning pumpkins and lanterns shrouded in cobwebbed netting facelift the town. The heads of scantily clad partygoers are topped by witches hats, offering some protection from an evil, biting wind. Copper leaves swirl in the afternoon breeze, mingling litter and empty coffee cups with nature’s own debris.…