claytoncast

I haven’t blogged for ages. It's all been a bit of a shakeup. I hurled myself into lockdown thinking, ‘Okay here we go. Let's find things to do.’ I enrolled on a criminal psychology course which I'm still working hard at and doing quite well, I’m 32.5k words into my second novel, but getting frustrated by having to do all my research on locations on Google Earth. The foremost thing was that the charity of which I'm a proud patron, Grimm and Co was in danger of losing an open day at the fabulous new premises we have bought in my hometown of Rotherham. May 2nd should have seen us throwing open the doors to what was the Talbot Road Methodist Church and let the public in to see and hear examples of the children's work. Many of the children who the brilliant staff at Grimm and Co deal with in writing clubs, are on the autistic spectrum or suffer from problems such as ADHD and for them lockdown has been difficult. So the chance of being able to zoom in on writing clas...

"Cut back on things that get in the way and find space for the nice things. Rather than trying to satisfy everyone, find an hour for coffee with the person you really like."  When I wrote those words in my last blog entry on January 11 this year as a sop to the idea of New Year resolutions, I little realised just how they would be implemented.  Life has changed beyond our comprehension. Yet looking at those words, I find that there is space for the enjoyable things. And the great joys of my day are a Zoom chat or a FaceTime coffee with a friend or two. A definite appointment making a definite amount of time free to look eye to eye and chat.   The site of forty also my loveliest friends and acquaintances all in little boxes on my screen on a Thursday night doing quiz night together bring me untold joy.    I'm still having difficulty finding space. The amount of work done having to do seems to have spread among the virtual days in the office, but more than e...