WELSH WRITING WEDNESDAYS: GAIL WILLIAMS ON WELSH LANDSCAPE AS INSPIRATION

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Inspiration comes from what we see. We have to see to want, and an author needs to really see to write.

Wales is often noted for the sheer beauty of its landscape, but just to call it beautiful is a disservice to the land. Wales is diverse and changeable, tough and uncompromising, warm and welcoming. We have high, harsh mountains, flat golden beaches, and everything in between. I am very grateful to live somewhere where I can go 20 minutes in one direction and be on the beach, or 20 minutes in the other direction and be in the mountains.

This has, of course, spilled into my writing. “The Chair” was deliberately set on Cadre Idris. I picked the mountain as somewhere that’s rural enough to believably not have phone signal, and therefore be somewhere to run to in order to avoid modern technology. But it also had to be a place where the land itself can become the enemy.

I’ve used other parts of Wales in my writing too, for example Swansea as it’s got a strong connection to the stained-glass industry, and the university engineering departments are often involved in land speed records.

When I moved to Wales, one of the places I got to know was Merthyr Tydfil and I always felt it would be a great place to kill someone – I mean somewhere to set a crime book, of course. Only I didn’t have a story to put there.

Recently, I’ve been working on a new book, this time a police procedural. If this book succeeds, there is the potential for it to become a series and that means that I needed to set it in a place that would give me sufficient scope for a range of characters and crimes.

I needed somewhere with a police presence sufficient to include a CID team – which is usually a large(ish) town or city. I needed somewhere where they could get autopsies – which for police autopsies is apparently Cardiff only at the moment, though a recent announcement is set to change that. I and wanted somewhere where I had a good mix of physical landscapes, so I could do gritty urban realism, but I also wanted wide open spaces, areas that would support some of the wilder, and more wider ranging ideas that I have in mind.

Which all brought me back to Merthyr Tydfil – the perfect place for crime.

Merthyr sits at the top left-hand of The Valleys and has a relatively new, purpose-built large police sttion. It’s at the crossroad of the north-south A470, and the east-west A485, the Heads of the Valleys Road. It’s an urban heart with easy links to Cardiff. It’s an historic area that links to the natural beauty of the Brecon Beacons.

Of courses there are also the coal fields and scars to the west, at the remains of Tower Colliery, and to the east is the road to Abergavenny and the towns down the valleys. Actually, those towns are sort of off limits as they are in the Gwent Police area, not South Wales Police as Merthyr is. Though even that provides an opportunity, there’s a lot of interesting possibilities for different police forces working together.

It also helps that Merthyr is known more widely than many Welsh towns. And that it’s within driving distance for me to go do some research if as and when I need to.

So, while Merthyr Tydfil took its time, it finally told me that what story it wanted me to write. All I have to do now, is sell it.

 

See more from GB Williams at gailbwilliams.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Living with Alzheimers – Trying to fathom a way forward for a ‘good’ visit by Chris Suich

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The-dementia-cafe

An ominous feeling came back to me today. Covid is back in the care home. Not in Bob’s wing but still, it seems to be getting closer. I have heard of so many people with it in our market town. I am being ultra careful. PCRs and lateral flows on visiting. I cannot go back to not seeing Bob again. As an Essential Caregiver I should be OK – even with an outbreak, providing I don’t catch it! At least that information is in the government guidance due to Bob being ‘end of life’.

I heard that some staff who have not been vaccinated (as Nov 21 government  direction) have left and I wonder how this will affect the staff ratio. At least I can help Bob when I’m here so they won’t have to worry about feeding him.  I put on the PPE and walk swiftly to his room. 

Bob is very tired today. He is laid in bed comfy and warm. His head has fallen off his pillow and he is lolling over the raised plastic sides of the special ripple bed. 

I kiss his forehead and tell him I am there. ‘Chris is here and I love you very much’ 

He smiles in his sleep and I am content with that. 

I arranged the things I had brought for him. The can of lemonade, the blackcurrant tart and the chocolate buttons. The iPad is already loaded with the music for the afternoon. Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles are the albums for today. I always show him the LP cover. Sometimes he reads the title and the group. I wonder if he can remember something of the design. These LP covers were so well thumbed by Bob in the 70s and 80s.

I start the music softly even though Bob is asleep because I think he might hear it and wake a little. I am struck by the beauty of the lyrics of Songbird.

Apparently McVeigh wrote it about the self sacrifice of love and about how much love the band members had shared together over many years. I too feel that sentiment  in the quietness of Bob’s almost stark room; an enormity of love for him. For everything we have shared together, a whole lifetime of experiences and good times. I know he is on his final journey and he is leaving me a little more each time.

He tries so hard to get back to me, and I still valiantly try to stir a memory, however faint. His furrowed brow, his look of bewilderment are etched on his face regularly now. He will put his hands to his head and will shout nonsensical words and sometimes pull at his head as though in an insane terrified fever. It must be terrible to try and make sense of something that was once so well known, or have a memory at arm’s length, never to grasp it. It is awful to watch. But he looks very peaceful today. 

Bob a Good Visit

I decide to clean his nails whilst he is asleep as he is sensitive to the slightest touch. He doesn’t resist when he is asleep and the liquid soap and wet ones soon do the job.  

I have decided to chat like I always would even if Bob is asleep or inside himself.  To be normal. To tell him my news and send all the messages from friends and family. I give him a kiss from Joe and a kiss from Eddie, our sons. I tell him I helped out at the sing a long at The Dementia Cafe this week. I tell him they gave me the microphone and I ended up singing at the front. I tell him someone asked me if I was your wife and told me that they had worked with you at Tedder Hall and to give you a hug from them. They said you were a lovely man. But of course I know this! 

After two hours you begin to wake. I sit next to you so that your eyes, when they open, are at my level. ‘ Hello darling it’s Chris and I’ve come to see you’ 

You smile like you know what I’m saying. Well that’s a good start. 

I ask the carers to sit him up as his core strength has gone and he always sleeps on a slant and then gets in an awkward position. The ladies move him onto a pillow and I sit him up on the ripple bed. I put on his glasses and tell him again who I am. He looks vacant and seems to be staring ahead, not really seeing. 

I have a routine and it is familiar to Bob as I do the same thing every visit. 

I tell him I’ve brought him chocolate buttons and he opens his mouth ready for me to put some in. He understood that alright! It gets him in a good mood. 

Then I try to get the drinks down him. He sometimes doesn’t seem to drink much. It takes a long time and patience is needed. I have that. I always see a difference once I get the fluids into him.  I pour the lemonade into a small lipped beaker. It’s a job to make sure I don’t give him too much at a time. Being vigilant I manage two beakers of drink. I try to get 3-4 down him in the 3-4 hrs I stay. He seems to wake a little more. 

‘I’m staying to give you your tea tonight Bob.’ It is mashed potato, carrots, spring greens and meatloaf, all chopped up of course. I have brought in the pudding – blackcurrant tart. I feed Bob with a spoon. He takes a while but today he eats quite well and doesn’t push it back on the spoon. The blackcurrant tart chopped into small pieces is enjoyed but it’s always the puddings that go down well. Recently I’ve taken to making him food from home and he loves that and his mouth opens wide. Pasta and poached salmon are his favourites.

After tea I put on the TV for the 6 pm news. Bob always watched the news. He sometimes says’ Hello’ to the newsreader. But before that it’s Tipping Point which he loves. He likes to see the counters dropping down and he can still read the amounts of money the contestants win. I always give him a commentary of what is happening and he seems to get something positive from it. 

I have learnt that to say ‘I’m going now’ makes him agitated so I now say ‘ I’m going to order you a hot chocolate’. I give him another kiss and leave. He is content.

It has become increasingly difficult to think how to help Bob have a good visit. He is getting so he is unable to respond or understand much nowadays. I have had to come to terms with the fact that perhaps this is a good visit now. This is the best I can expect. 

Occasionally he will say ‘ You’re lovely’ or You’re my best friend’ or if I’m lucky ‘Thank you, I love you’. In some ways that’s harder when he seems to realise, but I’d take those words any day.

Cutting The Cost of Your Home

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Christmas is coming and that means many things but mostly it means our bank accounts are going to take a kicking. It is that expensive time of the year. What better way of ‘making’ money than saving money? A penny saved is a penny earned, as the old saying goes. Every saving helps so here are some ideas on how to save around the house.

Turn your thermostat down. Even turning the thermostat down by one notch saves you lots of money AND it is good for the environment. Win-win.

Change to LED lighting. LED lighting lasts longer than normal lighting. The bulbs last longer and it works out cheaper in the long run. We have some LED panels in our garage and I heartily recommend them. LED lighting is a greener and cheaper alternative to traditional lighting.

Get a draught excluder, or use an old towel. Draught excluders keep the heat in and stop any draughts. Well, obviously, but I always do this. I actually just use an old towel in winter.

Always make sure you are getting the best deal for your bills. There are plenty of sites that will help you switch to a cheaper deal for your bills.

Sell any old stuff you no longer use. It is just taking up space in your home and you do not need it anyway. Declutter while making money with eBay, Depop, or Facebook marketplace. Alternatively, regift items that you received but never used. Much greener and cheaper.

Lastly, remember to keep the Christmas paper and iron it out for next year.

How are you keeping costs down?

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Heard the one about a teaspoon of mustard a day keeps the doc-? No, not keeps the doctor away, but perhaps cholesterol…

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I like mustard and it seems for once I am a GOOD GIRL as a new study suggests that wholegrain mustard is good for you and that 10g – or a heaped teaspoon – eaten every day, can help to achieve a healthy blood glucose and/or cholesterol level.  The research, presented at the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST), was carried out by Tracklements in association with Cardiff Metropolitan University.  The results show that 86% of participants in the study saw a significant drop in their blood glucose and/or cholesterol over a 12-week period

But hey. listen…  wholegrain mustard isn’t just good for you, it’s really nice and has been used throughout history with mentions in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman texts.  The Romans, in fact,  introduced mustard into Britain. They felt it had medicinal qualities as well as making unappetising meat palatable and most travelled  with a pouch of mustard seed to plant, Once settled, they would grind the mustard seed, crushing and mixing it calling it Mustum Ardens, (Fiery Must) and that my friends is how we reach the word Mustard.

Sadly in the 18th century wholegrain mustard lost favour, and flavour no doubt,  as mustard flour took its place. That is, until Tracklements launched their first wholegrain mustard in 1970 and I for one, am glad they did. Tracklements wholegrain is similar to the Roman forerunners, 100% natural and if one keeps an eye on research likely to do you good too.

I have tried and tested it, ooh yes I have, and all I can says is the Oliver refrain, Please Sir, may I have some  more. It is robust, delicious, and if it does me good too, it makes me feel virtuous. This feeling is not  necessarily something one would equate with  Margaret Graham, so I bask in it.

Try it with practically anything, scrambled eggs, avodado, ham, in yoghurt, mayonnaise… You get it, give it a try.

For more information: Tracklements

@tracklements #tastytracklements #LifeandSoulofthePantry

Burning Coffee Logs in domestic wood burners and multi-fuel stoves could perhaps be a step towards the phase-out of coal

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As an ardent coffee drinker – best not disturb me before I’ve had my morning shot of caffeine, I was interested to hear about the concept of burning of  Coffee Logs in domestic wood burners and multi-fuel stoves. It seems to be an  a step towards the phase-out of coal and is also more sustainable than burning wood.  Not only do Coffee Logs burn 20% hotter than kiln dried wood, but they also avoid the hefty carbon footprint created by imported wood logs.

I have to admit that having ground my beans, slurped my  coffee, then put the used grounds in the bin, (as they are not suitable for compost I was told) it seems such a sensible idea to recycle them,  though there is not, as yet a collection point for domestic drinkers. Will there ever be, without creating a carbon footprint? That is for more knowledgeable minds to discover, not mine.

Coffee Logs are produced by recycling used coffee grounds collected from nationwide coffee chains, independent coffee shops, cafes and restaurants around the UK, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.  The UK alone drinks 95 million cups of coffee a day, resulting in a quarter of a million tonnes of waste which would otherwise go to landfill or other inefficient disposal methods.  By recouping and recycling the coffee grounds into Coffee Logs, bio-bean generates 80% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfill.

The coffee logs are available to buy in a number of major outlets including Tesco, B&Q and Waitrose priced at £8.50 a bag.

You can read more about this thought provoking idea here: https://www.diy.com/departments/bio-bean-coffee-logs-8kg/5060599680002_BQ.prd

Murder at the Bailey by Henry Milner Book Review

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muder at the baileyThis is a brilliant and believable novel due to the author being one of the UK’s top criminal lawyers. Gorgeously entertaining. A fantastic debut from a new rising star.

A notorious loan shark is shot dead, in broad daylight, right outside the front doors of the Old Bailey. The killer is arrested at the scene and Adrian Stanford is lined up to take on the toughest defence case of his career. Can he steer his client past the no-nonsense Detective Chief Superintendent ‘Iron-Rod’ Stokes, hell-bent on achieving a murder conviction in his last case before retirement? That’s assuming he can keep his client alive in prison long enough for the trial to go ahead. Can his illustrious defence QC, Patrick ‘The Edge’ Gorman, swerve the case past the acerbic judge known to all as Mack the Knife, whose own resolve is being tested to the limit by an adulterous wife? And why is London underworld numero uno Big Jake Davenport showing such a keen interest in the proceedings?

A wickedly eccentric cast of brilliantly drawn characters populate this daring debut from one of Britain’s top criminal defence lawyers. Dripping with sparkling dialogue and delicious wit, Murder at the Bailey is a masterly picaresque romp through the courtrooms, custody suites and London restaurants graced by the cognoscenti.

Murder at the Bailey is available here.

 

Making Space For a New Baby.

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Checking off all the boxes to prepare for the arrival of your new little one is extremely important. Selecting your baby’s name is always a priority but can be a tough choice. A name that has meaning behind it can be special to you and your baby. French names have been known to have a unique meaning behind them and are very popular. Naming your boy or girl with a French baby name is sure to imbue them with innate style, grace and elegance. After you have picked a name, it is time to focus on getting your house in order to prepare for the pending arrival of your new baby.

Buy toy boxes and teach your children to put things in the boxes. The boxes can be stackable and plastic, or a toy chest. Whatever suits you and your life works. I try to put things away by category, all trains in one box etc. This invariably ends up with a few toys mixed up but you can but try.

Regular charity shop trips. I find keeping a charity shop bag or box around helps. Anytime your child grows out of a toy, or moves on to something else, put it in. I also put duplicates in. Sometimes your child will be given the same kind of present. They do not need three tea sets!

If I learnt anything about keeping a tidy house it is to have  good storage options. I recommend using Now Storage self storage. Packing things up and putting them into storage is a great option. Some things cannot be parted with and other things you will need in the future.

Clothes are a special thing. Even when my children grow out of their clothes I find it hard to part with them. I get emotional and have even cried when getting rid of their baby clothes, it is embarrassing to admit. It is important to store clothes properly, otherwise they end up mouldy or moth-ridden. I use vacuum bags. They keep out moisture and insects. Perfect!

What are your storage tips?

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Oh … Oh … a new book in the award nominated Detective Sara Hirst series from Joffe, as well as the usual fascinating line up

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Book of the Week grandstands A BRUTAL SEASON by Judi Daykin, the third instalment in the DS Sara Hirst spine tingling series  Daykin’sJudi’s UNDER VIOLENT SKIES — book 1 in the DS Sara Hirst series — was longlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasy New Blood Dagger Award in 2021.

So best not to  miss the gripping new book in the award-nominated Detective Sara Hirst series.

It’s carnival week in Cromer.  The body of Daisy Shaw, the Carnival Queen, is discovered in a back alley, stretched out on the cobbles.  Her long blonde hair lies matted and dishevelled around her head, her fingers clutch a sparkly plastic tiara.  The atmosphere in Cromer soon grows nasty. The town turns against the outsiders. The roads are closed. The town descends into chaos

Can Sara solve the case before anyone else gets hurt? 99p/ 99C

We all like to receive invitations, but to Murder?

                                                                             

An invitation to Murder by Norman Russell, out this week.  99p/99c

The Baron of Renfield Hall wants to marry his daughter off to a rich American, but she is already in love with Alan, a penniless nobody — to the glee of Alan’s greedy uncle, Guy, who believes he’s uncovered a secret in Renfield’s past.  Tensions run high until Guy turns up dead. A convenient coincidence? Detectives French and Edwards are on the case.
Murder on Sea by Jane Adams. What a title, it attracted me immediately – it sounds fun, if murder can be.

Meet Rina Martin, a retired actress with a taste for tea, gardening and crime solving.
She played a TV sleuth for years, but now she has to do it for real.  99p/99c “Miss Marple fans will find a lot to like.” Publishers Weekly

Are you looking for a bit of nostalgia to sink your teeth into this weekend? Well this might do it for you.

This weekend Joffe are bringing you Paul D. Gilbert’s Sherlock Holmes mystery THE GIANT RAT OF SUMATRA for free. The book will be FREE from Friday 12 November till Monday 15 November.
Whether you’re a fan of the great consulting detective, or simply love exquisitely plotted historical mysteries, it might be an idea to grab your free copy of THE GIANT RAT OF SUMATRA before it’s too late.

Autumn 1898. London. A scandal in the making.  Dockworkers are stunned by the arrival of the Matilda Briggs, a long overdue tea cutter returning from Calcutta. The dust-covered vessel has been abandoned by its crew, and seems to have drifted into a vacant berth guided by an unseen hand.  Sherlock Holmes and his faithful Watson are called to divest the Matilda Briggs of its secrets, only to be warned off. Then a young man appears at 122B Baker Street with a mysterious packet from his missing father – who disappeared journeying to London from Calcutta. A confounding conspiracy seems set to boil over.  What was in the cargo besides innocent tea chests? And is the world finally ready for this tale to be told?

Please check this offer is live and available in your location before downloading.

And now for a peek behind the scenes at Joffe Books.   KATE LYALL GRANT:   PUBLISHING DIRECTOR  tells Frost Magazine about herself and her role.

WHAT I DO
Having joined Joffe Books on 8th November, I’m the newest member of the team.  My role is to spread the word amongst the literary agent and crime fiction community about all the exciting things we’re doing at Joffe, and to acquire brilliant new authors for the list, with particular emphasis on the American market, where we are actively looking to expand.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2022
I’m looking forward to finding the next big thing in mystery fiction, and to acquiring at least one Kindle Top Ten bestselling author.

FAVOURITE BOOKS
Most recently, I’ve loved The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton: a subversive and highly ingenious take on the classic country house murder mystery; Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: a wonderfully atmospheric love story, coming-of-age novel and intriguing murder mystery all rolled into one; and Girl A by Abigail Dean: very dark but utterly gripping, with a surprising twist at the end.

Lots more goodies on Joffe Books here