2018

Arvon Foundation Writing Course in Shropshire

2018 started with an opportunity I will never forget and forever be grateful for. I earned a free place on an Arvon Foundation writing course in Shropshire. Half of the students had a visual impairment the other half didn't. Our tutors were amazing, the setting was stunning, I learnt so much and I'll treasure the experience all of my life. 

Book shelves at John Osborne's house

Jake and Kerry our tutors 

Maybe the two most valuable things to come out of the week away was it cut down my usage of social media in particular, after a week cut off from all the distractions the internet brings I was not keen to go back to my old ways. I also started reading more and have spent the rest of the year reading. You can see more photos of my week in Shropshire here.

Railway Protest 

Although later in 2018 our railways would go into a complete melt down, when a new timetable was introduced back in January we were protesting for better access at Biggleswade station. Here are a couple of my photographs from the protest and you can see more here

Paul and Shadow Minister for Transport 

Protesters outside Biggleswade station 

Write Like a Grrrl and Brick Lane

In January after completing my Arvon foundation course I started my second Write Like a Grrrl 6 week course just off Brick Lane. The picture below is of some of my favourite street art from around there. The course was fantastic, I met some brilliant women writers and had a lot of fun. 

During April I took part in NaNoWriMo camp where I wrote 30,000 words in a month.

Street art

Hackney History Day with cousin Helen

Cousin Helen and me

In February I met up with my cousin Helen and we spent the day in Hackney researching our family history. We took over a table in the pie and eel mock up shop at Hackney museum and walked around Victoria Park as well as fitting in a bus ride and delicious lunch and drinks. 

Hackney street near Victoria Park

The Beast from the East 

When the snow set in, in late Feb I was busy travelling to the Olympic Park to be interviewed for a job at Scope. I got caught in snow disrupting trains in London but managed to make the interview and got the job! 

Garden in snow

Japan

We escaped the beast from the east, after our plane was doused in warm slush to melt the ice that had formed on it, to holiday in Japan. We visited Osaka which was a new place for both of Jase and I.

Dotonbori canal and neon lights

It was too early for cherry blossom but the plum blossom was glorious.

White eye bird on plum blossom

Gin

2018 has definitely been a year for drinking gin, not lease when Ruth, Rachel and I went to Portobello Road to drink Gin at Gintonica. We had a wonderful time and the gin was amazing. 

As well as drinking gin I drank some spiced mead with Tess in April when we went to see Nerina Pallot in Bristol having amazing fun and visiting a women's world war one photography exhibition as well. 

Gin and tonic 

The Royal Albert Hall

In May Jase and I went to a concert of playstation game music and the Royal Albert Hall, we stayed at the Kensington Gore hotel which was wonderfully sumptuous. 

The Royal Albert Hall

Mum and Dad Move House 

At the end of May, Mum and Dad moved house. 

Mum and Dad

They have some interesting new neighbours. 

goats

South Wales in a heatwave 

I spent a magical weekend in Caldicot South Wales with Tess and her family. It was the height of the heatwave with temperatures close to 30 every day. We visited Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley, my new favourite place in the UK. The scenery is stunning. 

Tess in the abbey

We also took to hiding out in caves with Welsh dragons to keep cool! Fish and Chips over looking the severn estuary at sunset and standing stones were other highlights in a magical weekend. 

Welsh dragon

Whitstable 

Again during the heatwave I visited Whitstable with Ruth and Rachel. We had a wonderful day mooching along the beach, sunbathing, drinking and buying gin and visiting a second hand book shop which declared on it's sign that it had 7 rooms of books! 

7 rooms of books

Hackney canal and the Olympic Park 

Red rowing boats in a fan shape on the canal

Since May I have been working at Scope's new offices which are based in Here East in the Olympic Park. The office overlooks the canal and during the long hot summer it gave me ample time to wander its banks and take photos like this one of some bright boats. 

On the 31st July I completed my year of taking a photo every day challenge. It was a huge relief but I learnt a lot from it as well. 

Weekends of theatre and cultural visits 

During August, Mum and I spent the weekend in London going to 3 theatre productions! I took the photo below from the Globe looking over to St Paul's. We saw Emilia at the Globe which was amazing and then both parts of the Cicero plays by the RSC the next day. 

St Paul's Cathedral at dusk

Later in the summer, we visited John Clare's cottage and Flag Fen which aren't far from where my parents now live. 

Clematis at John Clare's Cottage

In September, Mum and I spent the weekend in Stratford upon Avon which we explored as well as fitting in seeing Tamburlaine and The Merry Wives of Windsor

Shakespeare's house 

St Paul's Cathedral

Again Ruth, Rachel and I had a day out in London where we visited the Mythrarium, St Stephen's Wallbrook church for a lunch time concert and then St Paul's in the afternoon. 

St Paul's Cathedral 

Edinburgh 

In October Jase and I headed up to Edinburgh for a long weekend where we ate steak, had Sunday lunch in Keneth Graham's old house which is suitably decorated with Wind in the Willow's memorabilia and visited the Botanic Gardens. I discovered the Edinburgh Gin Company flavoured gins (plum and vanilla.)

Hot pink flowers against a feathery green background

Family Fireworks

No we didn't all have a big barney, instead I went to a firework display with my nieces, brother, sister in law and parents. I had a lovely time, drank more gin, this time violet flavoured.

Pink heart shaped burst of fireworks.

Christmas 

Just before Christmas it was another trip to London where I took this photo of the tree in Trafalgar Square. 

Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree with St Martine's in the Field Church 

Amongst all of that wonderful stuff that happened I ended up back on anti depressants. Though this time I caught my mental health dip in time and was able to carry on working through out the treatment but i did spend a very unhappy week in June in bed with side effects of the medication rather than on holiday as I'd planned. I'm still working on my mental health taking it slowly trying to take care of myself. I've not managed to see my friend Lorraine this year but hopefully I can remedy that in 2019. 

2019

I'm looking forward to 2019 not least because I have a Burns Night Supper away lined up as well as a new Write Like a Grrrrl course to start in the spring. Then come September I'll be off to Australia for a month!