• My silver birch finally came down and the garden is looking so much lighter. It really had got a bit too big. On benefit is that the view of my neighbour’s Walnut tree has opened up. As if to highlight the fact the sun produced a rainbow to welcome the view.

  • World Book Day week got off to a great start today with a visit to Drybrook Primary School, which is just ten minutes down the road.

    I often drive past on my way to other school visits if I have to take the M5 north and get clogged for a moment as their children spill out of the narrow, village main road and into school.

    The reception year did some lovely work after I’d rad them How the Whale got his Throat. I showed them how to draw a whale and they did the most beautiful drawings. I love to see how very young children interpret my instructions! They did some great writing too.

    Thanks for a great day everyone and enjoy the rest of bookweek and your dressing up day on Thursday.

  • The Tree Surgeon is right outside my studio door. His chainsaw is screaming as it slices through the remains of my old Silver Birch.

    And I realise that I’ve just done a good chunk of writing.

    Having found a million other reasons not to get down and write in the past few days, the first proper reason, i.e. “I can’t think with all this noise!” has not stopped me at all.

    Just goes to show – once you get going, nothing can stop you. It’s the getting going that is the hard part.