Category Archives: Public libraries

Rabbit rabbit rabbit…

By Posted in am writing, Animals, Author Event, department stores, Public libraries, Scotland, Social history Tagged , , Leave a comment

 

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Well that’s what I have been doing. I’ve been talking at a whole host of events and visits to all sorts of groups and at lots of different locations from libraries to bookshop to housing complexes. Anywhere that people want to hear about the ‘Disappeared Department Stores of Edinburgh’ and my inadvertent wandering into this area of social history I’ll be rabbiting on.  Its been a two way street too: I’ve heard fascinating reminiscences of people’s experiences on both sides of the counter in these  wonderful old stores.  I’d never have guessed that my novels would lead to this interesting new facet to life.

A few more events coming up.  Hello Leith Rotary tonight and Morningside Library next week.  Already lots of bookings for the autumn and next spring too. Just have to get this next knee replacement out of the way. Oh well. I’ll have lots to think about during my enforced convalescence.

(The rabbit featured is a carnelian netsuke that I’m very fond of.)

New Year, New Horizons…

By Posted in Author Event, department stores, Edinburgh, history festival, new writing, Novel, People's Friend, Public libraries, Scotland, Womens Groups Tagged , , , Leave a comment

2018

There was a busy Autumn session including a presentation on ‘Disappeared Department Stores’ at ‘Previously- Scotland’s History festival’, Loanhead’s wonderful new library, Stockbridge’s wonderful old library, Barnton and Cramond Community club and a double page feature in the Sunday Post.  I’m just about ready to face 2018!

There’s a new Murrays story in the People’s Friend January Special out on 24th January and two more submitted. Fingers crossed.

Changing direction slightly, I’m now working on a detective story featuring a recently demoted female detective constable. Its set in the West Highlands and I’m hoping it’ll be as much fun to read as it is to write!

 

A Busy Autumn in Prospect

By Posted in Asperger Syndrome, Author Event, department stores, Edinburgh, new writing, People's Friend, Portobello Book Festival, Public libraries, Social history, Womens Groups Tagged , , , , Leave a comment

e014f6ad5d46f48264e0f7e990f72caa--fall-coloring-pages-coloring-sheetsWell the Autumn session of talks and events has kicked off in style. A cheerful evening at Juniper Green WI set the scene. Lots of nice ladies with happy memories of the old stores.

To Morningside next week for another talk then a session at the Portobello Book Festival in their historic fiction slot the following weekend. Its all go.

Meanwhile People’s Friend have published another of my stories. U3A keeps me busy in various groups and, in my other life, I still run my groups for late diagnosed men and women with Asperger Syndrome.

Back to Work!

By Posted in Author Event, best selling novel, Edinburgh, new book, new writing, Public libraries, Scotland, Short Story, Tea Rooms, Womens Groups Tagged , , , 4 Comments

stock-illustration-50715032-woman-back-office-work-monitor-drawingWell the Summer break is over. Fun was duly had by all. Blackwell’s ‘Writers at the Fringe’ event went well. Time to get back to work. There’s lots to do. I started last week at the Kinross Thursday group and the Westwoods Book Group. Enjoyable evenings, interesting ladies to speak to and some great questions posed. Just what I like. Luckily, there seems to be more of these events lined up over the coming months. Bring it on.

Otherwise I’ve got lots of writing to do. Book 2 has been submitted to the publisher-Comely Bank Publishing- and I expect to be doing my ‘corrections’ as they emerge from the copy editing and proof reading stages. Then there will be cover design to think about and all the various aspects of book production that readers don’t think about. I know I never did until  my best selling novel ‘Our Best Attention.’

My other writing has been short stories for a certain ladies weekly story magazine published in Scotland. Guess which one? This has been a most enjoyable foray away from Murrays although the popular ‘Tea room ladies’ feature in two of them. I couldn’t help myself!

Next outing is as part of the ‘Edinburgh Tales’ series at the Edinburgh Central Library on 21st September.  I’ll be talking about the book but also remembering the wonderful department store which was the inspiration for the setting of ‘Our Best Attention.’ Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look on it all the tickets were snapped up weeks ago.

Telling (Edinburgh) Tales!

By Posted in Archive Material, Author Event, best selling novel, department stores, Edinburgh, memories, Novel, Public libraries, Scotland, Social history Tagged , , 2 Comments

edinburgh library

 

 

Central Library, Edinburgh.

Life is full of surprises it would seem. Librarian hath spoken unto librarian with the result that I was invited to view the Jenners archive at the Central Library in Edinburgh. Obviously, my novel, ‘Our Best Attention,’ is fiction but its location in a large department store was inspired by my time working in Jenners in Princes St, Edinburgh. I loved working there and it has long remained in my memory. However, the memories contained in the archive went back many, many years before I was born.

Among  the items I looked at was a complete inventory of the building from top to bottom. I was intrigued to find the ratio of shop floor space to the building as a whole to be really quite small. Only the first two floors were open to customers. The other four floors contained the staff bedrooms ( I found 102 of these!) staff dining rooms and a three bed sick room and medical room along with many workrooms and rooms with various other uses. Although this was a professionally produced inventory carried out by a London firm, it was unfortunately undated. Very frustrating. However, by careful cross referencing it looks like it must have been produced about 1906.

I also loved looking at the Christmas catalogues which dated back to 1902.  There was so much to look at in the archive that I plan several return visits.

I’m going to be talking about my novel and the background to it at the Central library “Edinburgh Tales” session on 21st September.  Look out for further information on the Eventbrite website.

Fish Suppers? In a Library?

By Posted in Author Event, department stores, Edinburgh, memories, Novel, Public libraries, Scotland, Womens Groups Tagged 1 Comment

Ratho Library 1

Fish Suppers? In a Library? Well yes. That was the invitation from dynamic Diane Yule of Ratho library near Edinburgh Scotland.  I was asked to join the ladies (and gentleman) of the ‘Book and a Blether’  group who regularly meet for a fish supper followed by a talk or a discussion about a book. This week the ‘event’ was me coming to talk about my bestselling novel, ‘Our Best Attention’. After the consumption of the fishy feast, some others joined us and I did my usual thing. This time it was enlivened by the contributions of a local lady who had brought along some memorabilia of a certain posh Edinburgh department store.

The evening went with a swing and I left feeling very optimistic about the future of libraries. If they are all such cheerful and busy parts of the community their days are not over. Phew!