Life as an expat is mixed. You have the excitement of sights that broaden your mind… challenge your faith… transfix… shame… and surprise. Upon arrival, we were embraced by the English speaking expat community and automatically included by dint of being there. It’s a community which includes, English, American, Australian and Dutch, all of whom… Continue reading…
We have been in Singapore for exactly three months now and have spent the last two in our new home. Our new home, a rented bungalow on the former RAF Camp at Seletar We took possession half an hour before the container turned up from the docks. Last time I saw this, it was on… Continue reading…
Today is the start of the Chinese New Year. Here in Singapore, it is marked with a two day national holiday. It’s being celebrated by the majority of the population as the Chinese account for 76% of the inhabitants in this multicultural city-state. The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the Chinese calendar… Continue reading…
We have finally moved to Singapore after months of frantic activity and precious little activity on this blog. I feel bad about that, so to make amends here is a super sized blog with oodles of photos and a brief account of how we’ve ended up moving half way across the world. … Continue reading…
This is a seriously busy week. Besides Tom’s home-schooling and sorting out what to take to Singapore, I will be preparing two brilliant talks on my book, Blood and Bandages – fighting for life in the RAMC Field Ambulance 1940 -1946. These entertaining and informative talks will be about the book, its theme and how… Continue reading…
I hope you enjoyed reading the inside story of Blood and Bandages. William and I have now moved onto the book’s marketing phase and last weekend, we had great fun at the Armed Forces Day in Worthing. William and I set up our stall. (courtesy of Brian Woodford) While we were there we… Continue reading…
So there I was, paralysed with writer’s block with a deadline looming. Up until then, I thought you got writer’s block when you ran out of ideas. Not so. It’s when you feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness and a complete loss of confidence. You can only think of one thing, that you were a… Continue reading…
I felt upset and hurt, but it was a blessing in disguise. The book had taken over my life. If I wasn’t researching it, I was thinking about it. If I wasn’t thinking about it, I was writing it. If I wasn’t writing it, I was interviewing William and if I wasn’t doing that, I… Continue reading…
The story had to have a heart. It also had to have a publisher. To achieve that, I needed to demonstrate that the book had 1. a unique selling point, (USP) 2. an engaging style, 3. an audience, 4. and a writer with knowledge of the publishing industry. I knew that the book had a… Continue reading…
Hello and welcome to my blog. Firstly and most importantly, I wish you a wonderful Christmas and every happiness throughout 2017 Thank you for continuing to visit my blog and I apologise for being so flaky this year. I’ve got lots of news to share with you in the new year as well as continuing… Continue reading…