Where do I begin?
"Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."
Unlike Alice in Lewis Carroll's inside-out world, I haven't been reliably sane since I was allowed to "stand up close to a horse" at the age of two and a half ... therefore (nice sane word, that) I shall ignore the King's sound advice and just plunge you into it. Web sites are like that anyway - you can get in through any door or window. Why should I insist you knock or ring the bell?
This site is about some of my long-standing obsessions: writing, Fell ponies, carriage driving, an early blog about Foot and Mouth, a bit of local history and a few links to other sites where I can't be bothered to repeat their information.
Things I think are newsworthy: you don't have to agree
Later this year, again from Hayloft: collection of poetry, verse and prose with a rural theme. Title TBA but currently known as "Wellies"! So as you can imagine it is not about "The Good Life"!
May 2008: 3 poems, "Coming of Age", "Reels", "Shells," published in Pirene's Fountain.
April 2008: Article on "Balanced Draught", in Carriage Driving Magazine.
November 2007: The Dales Diary (Border TV and Tyne Tees TV) features "Hoofprints in Eden". See menu.
August 2007: Poem, "In the Mirror" long listed in 2007 Virginia Warbey Poetry Competition.
July 2007: Daw Bank's self catering holiday cottage opens for business. We'll natter with you about writing, books, poems, farming, horses and wagon/carriage driving till the cows come home.
June 2007: NEW collected poems, "Pearl Wedding". See menu.
June 2006: "Hoofprints in Eden" is an Award winner! History, background, anecdotes; major work on Fell ponies wins Lakeland Book of the Year "Saint and Company" prize 2006. I had great fun researching and writing this, and it seems many people have enjoyed reading it too. See menu.
December 2005: the Duke of Edinburgh's office bought 4 copies of "Hoofprints" - I hope as Christmas presents, but the Duke's office weren't saying.
Foot and Mouth Diary - a bitter reminder of events as seen from inside Cumbria 2001. See menu.
Fortunately, to balance the FMD, "One Fell Swoop" - cartoon book about the Fell pony breed - goes on happily trundling along. See menu.