Names in Print

One of the things I do to keep the grey matter occupied is to do occasional voluntary work with a service user/carer group at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston (UCLan).  I've been doing it now for a few years and recently I volunteered to do some work with one of the senior lectures in Social Work at the uni.  To tell the truth, she asked everyone and I was the only person who held their hand up.

The lecturer is writing a book for student social workers and she wanted some input from a service user or carer, and that was me.

What an invigorating experience it was.  I have done a bit of writing in the past, but only for my own pleasure, though a couple of things have been published. Anyway, this had to be right.  Not enough to express a glib impression or half thought out idea.  This needed to be thoughtfully written and absolutely spot on in terms of grammar etc.  So, today the final version of the chapter I have been working on is being put together, and it was such a pleasant surprise to see my name in print at the top of the chapter, along with the lecturer.  

Feels good.  Might consider doing a bit more if I am asked.

Now I need to get back to finishing off writing the book I've been working on for some months.  I've finished the actual 'story', now I need to re-read and edit it, and that so far, is proving almost as hard as the original writing was.

I've got 165,000 words on paper so far, and can't see there being many more.  Back to the grindstone!!

New Year, new things to do

Well, I suppose technically it was a new year several days ago, but this is the first time for ages that I have put anything like pen to paper, so it is almost a new year.

Things progress sometimes, don't they?  Like the stuff I have been doing this past few months.  I have finally decided to write the story of my grand mother which I have been threatening to do for some years now.  As I get older and older it seems like a good idea to get it done, before I forget how to use a computer, I suppose.

Went to Australia last year and had a marvellous time in both Melbourne and Sydney.  What truly fantastic cities they both are.  People are wonderful too.  I landed in Melbourne and stayed there for a week then caught a train for an eleven hour journey through the most wonderful countryside to arrive about seven in the evening in Sydney, then had to find my hotel.  It was pouring with rain when the train arrived and of course there was a mega queue for taxis, but I managed it in the end.

The hotel was in what Google maps said was the red light district of the city, Kings Cross.  it wasn't that bad, in fact it was pretty good.  My hotel was just across the border in Potts Point.  If you need to go to Sydney, or just want to, then Potts Point is a brilliant place.

Spent a week in Sydney visiting libraries and the state archives where I found that not only are the staff fantastic, but the information I researched there threw some very interesting lights all over my grandmothers history.  Gave me a lot of new information to include in the book.

Caught the train back to Melbourne for one night then hired a car to drive 100 miles out into the bush to a wonderful place called Alexandra where I spent a week.  What a wonderful country area it is.  Drove around the bush and up into the mountains where I scared myself witless driving along forest tracks - not to be recommended if you are in the sort of car I was in, a Toyota Camray automatic.  Rubbish car and not suited to forest tracks at all.  But it was an interesting journey.  Brilliant waterfall at a place called Snobs Point. Worth going there just for the name.

After several days there I drove back to Melbourne and flew home.  52 hours of a journey.  thanks Emirates for not really telling me I could have claimed a free hotel in Dubai for the fourteen hour stopover!  But i got home in one piece.

Enjoyed it so much I might go back later this year.