Ducie’s Diary: September 2021
This post is coming out a couple of days late, but I wanted to make sure it appeared in late September, rather than slipping into October. It’s been a busy…
Ducie’s Diary: August 2021
I’m writing this on August Bank Holiday Monday, the last official holiday in the UK until Christmas. At 6.30 this morning, we watched the sun rise over the sea at…
Ducie’s Diary: June 2021
It’s become a bit of a habit to open these posts with a comment on the weather. How very British of me! In April, I complained about how cold it…
Ducie’s Diary: May 2021
What a difference a month makes. In April’s diary, I was talking about spending Easter with friends in the garden wrapped in blankets and cuddling a hot water bottle. For…
Ducie’s Diary: April 2021
As predicted in last month’s diary, the Easter weekend saw us taking tea (and other beverages) with lots of friends in the garden. Our brand-new gazebo wasn’t needed, as the…
Ducie’s Diary: January 2021
We may be almost at the end of January, but hopefully it’s not too late to wish you all a very Happy New Year. It’s been while since I’ve written…
A Game of Three Halves
For the past few years, my first post each January has been a review of the previous year’s writerly achievements followed by my plans for the coming twelve months. I’ve…
Ducie’s Diary: February
I know February is the shortest month, but it’s only by a day or two, especially this year, so why does it only seem about two weeks since I was…
Writerly Round-Up: October 2019
I know it’s a factor of age, but time really does seem to flow faster these days than it used to. It seems like to time at all since I…
Elizabeth Chats With…Nicola May
Nicola May is the author of ten romantic comedy novels, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Her novels Christmas Spirit and The School Gates won Best…
Writerly Round-Up: September 2019
I’m sure it’s no coincidence that September, just nine months after Christmas and New Year, is a packed month for birthdays. So many of my friends have been celebrating this…
Writerly Round-Up: August 2019
As we reach the final day of the hottest August Bank Holiday since records began (at least here in UK), I’m writing this while waiting for the sun to break…
Writerly Round-Up: July 2019
The end of July already! And it’s been a busy, fun-filled month in our household. We celebrated our forty-second wedding anniversary with a quiet supper at home, musing on whether…
Writerly Round-Up: June 2019
Here we are, nearing the end of June; and although it only seems like yesterday when we were all stuffing ourselves with chocolates in front of the Christmas tree –…
Writerly Round-up: May 2019
May is one of my favourite months. It’s when my garden puts away its winter garb and starts dressing for summer. Looking through the office doors as I type, I…
Writerly Round-Up: April 2019
April seems to have gone by in a flash. There were two bank holidays over the Easter weekend and we spent the whole four days mostly eating, drinking and chatting…
Writerly Round-Up: March 2019
While last month was filled with gastronomic treats, this month has been particularly theatrical. I saw two favourite singers, Irina Ilnytska and Jane Anderson-Brown, perform a programme of operatic arias…
Writerly Round-Up: February 2019
They say time seems to speed up as we get older, and I certainly concur; the days appear to be on fast forward and even the weeks are gone at…
Writerly Round-Up: January 2019
A New Year, a new title, a new logo. I’m retiring the Potluck Club and replacing it with a monthly Writerly Round-Up. As before, it’s going to be a mix…
Glass Half Full?
For the past couple of years, my first post in January has been a review of the previous year’s objectives: what I’ve managed to achieve; and where I’ve been less…
November’s Pot Luck Club
Welcome to November’s Pot Luck Club, a round-up of writerly bits and pieces. November has been a busy month for me, with three major events taking place in the first…